The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications has announced that it is working with relevant authorities to invite a beauty queen for a working session due to her overly-lighthearted rendition of  Vietnam's national anthem.

On Thursday, Vo Thi Thu Suong, chief inspector of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications, stated that the department had become aware of a controversy involving Le Thi Hau Phuong, Mrs. Grand World 2017, who sang the Vietnamese national anthem in a “joking manner,” sparking debate on social media.

“We will take legal action regarding the incident involving Mrs. Phuong if necessary,” Suong said.

Phuong, a 45-year-old from the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh, won Miss World Business Vietnam 2016 and was crowned Mrs. Grand World in 2017. 

Outside of her pageant career, she is a culinary vlogger with her own YouTube channel.

In mid-August, during a live-streamed chat with her audience, Phuong altered the first line of the national anthem and sang it in a joking manner, causing a considerable backlash from viewers.

On August 16, Phuong issued an apology, stating that she did not intend to alter the lyrics or insult the national anthem.

“First of all, I want to apologize to everyone if my words have caused any misunderstanding, upset, or discomfort,” she wrote in a social media post. 

“I did not change the lyrics or insult the national anthem. 

“Like every Vietnamese person, I am proud and moved when singing our sacred national anthem and understand that altering its lyrics is unacceptable.”

Phuong also expressed her willingness to cooperate with authorities to resolve the issue.

Despite her apology, many netizens remained dissatisfied.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism issued guidelines for the use of the national anthem, regulating it to be used during flag-raising ceremonies at state offices, schools, political events, national festivals, and state and international sporting events, among others. 

Misuse of the national anthem contrary to these guidelines may lead to criminal prosecution under Article 351 of the 2015 Penal Code. 

Individuals who intentionally insult the national anthem could face a warning, non-custodial reform for up to three years, or imprisonment for six months to three years.

Recently, authorities have reported that many celebrities are deliberately creating scandals and accepting fines to draw attention to their live streams and product sales. 

Nguyen Thanh Hoa, head of electronic information at the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications, told VnExpress that this behavior is part of a business model centered on generating public attention by staging shocking events to provoke arguments between fan and anti-fan groups. 

They then accept administrative fines and continue live-streaming to promote their products. 

Authorities have plans to investigate and address each case individually in order to deter such practices, according to Hoa.

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