Singer Dam Vinh Hung has faced public criticism and asked to change his behaviour after dressing up as the "doctor-killer" who dumped a body in the Red River for Halloween.
Dam Vinh Hung dressed as the "killer-doctor" at a Halloween party with some friend artists
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Performing Art Department sent an express letter to Dam Vinh Hung on November 6, asking him to be more careful with his behaviour following several recent scandals.
In only his most recent scandal, Hung dressed up as the "doctor-killer" for Halloween for fun. This has been a sensitive subject in Vietnam recently, as the doctor was accused last month of accidentally killing a woman and disposing her body to escape blame. However, the costume was found distasteful by many, and offended the victim's relatives.
The "killer-doctor", Nguyen Manh Tuong, who also owned of Cat Tuong Beauty Salon on Giai Phong Street in Hanoi, was arrested by the municipal police on October 22.
Hung is not new to controversy. He also faced public criticism after kissing a monk on the lips during a charity programme, posing in front of a thousand-people line to pay tribute to late General Vo Nguyen Giap, and giving rude responses to veteran musicians' criticisms.
“None of this behavior is in line with Vietnamese traditional culture. If the singer fails to amend his bahaviour, strict punishments will be applied,” said the department’s director, Nguyen Dang Chuong.
“Before coming to any decision we would have to make careful consideration as to the effect it would have on the artist’s career. However, it would be improper to only protect his reputation at the expense of the impact on the young generation’s morality and awareness,” Chuong commented.
An anonymous official from the department said that the code of conduct concerns standards for all careers. However, in this case, Dam Vinh Hung’s improper behaviour does not mean that he violated his code of conduct, adding that he should be criticised but not fined.
The singer showed lack of respect for other people when he did not queue to pay tribute to late General Vo Nguyen Giap
On November 6, Dam Vinh Hung sent a complaint to the department, explaining his behaviour during Halloween.
“I was scared when I heard about the case at the Cat Tuong beauty salon, and thought of doctor Tuong as a monster; someone that you would want to keep at distance. I was not aware of how the costume would affect the audience,” the singer said.
He promised to draw lessons from the incident and prevent similar situations in the future.
