HyunA Faces Backlash: Marriage Announcement and Scandal Impact Performance Reception

(MHNSports Reporter Sun Shin) HyunA, who recently announced her marriage to Yong Jun-hyung, is embroiled in controversy following her recent performance.

On July 13th, HyunA held a celebratory stage at the Super Race Championship Round 5 'Summer Night Race' at Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do.

However, after the performance video was released through MHN Sports, the response from netizens was chilly.

In the video, HyunA performed several songs, including 'Bubble Pop,' 'I'm Not Cool,' and 'Red,' along with backup dancers.

During the performance, HyunA shouted "Singing!" to encourage audience participation, but the response was lukewarm. Additionally, the 'powerful dance' usually associated with HyunA's performances was missing, and she minimized choreography during the highlight parts, often pointing the microphone towards the audience, resulting in a passive performance.

Netizens commented on the lack of enthusiasm and criticized the minimal choreography as a lackluster effort. Many believe the lack of enthusiasm stems from the damage to her image following her relationship and marriage announcement with Yong Jun-hyung.

Previously, HyunA garnered attention when she announced her marriage to Yong Jun-hyung, whom she had been publicly dating since January. However, Yong Jun-hyung has been plagued by negative comments since going public due to his past involvement in the Burning Sun scandal. In 2019, he was mentioned as a member of the controversial group chat led by Jung Joon-young and Seungri, though he clarified that he was not a group chat member but admitted to watching illegal videos in a one-on-one chat with Jung Joon-young, leading to his departure from the group Highlight.

Recently, the BBC Korea re-examined the Burning Sun incident, which reignited criticism towards Yong Jun-hyung, affecting HyunA's image as well. Consequently, HyunA's onstage reception was tepid.

Netizens remarked, "Both had good images when dating Dawn, but public opinion turned when she started dating Yong Jun-hyung," "There was no reaction to the point of being embarrassing," and "She's asking for blessings for a man involved in a case with clear victims, so she shouldn't be surprised."

Criticism also targeted HyunA's passive performance on stage. Comments included, "The stage wasn't exciting at all," "HyunA has sometimes danced lightly, but she always executed key moves energetically, but now she seems to be holding back," and "Is she pregnant because she's being so cautious?"

Coinciding with her marriage announcement and cautious choreography, pregnancy rumors have surfaced. Despite repeated inquiries, her agency has not responded to these speculations.

If not pregnant, HyunA's passive performance could still be problematic due to perceived insincerity. Although some present reported a shaky stage, her backup dancers performed without issue, indicating that the stage condition wasn't a significant problem.

HyunA's image has taken a significant hit following her relationship and marriage announcement with Yong Jun-hyung. She planned to hold a North American tour in cities such as New York, Chicago, and LA starting in August, but the concerts were recently canceled. Foreign media suggested that low ticket sales were behind the cancellations, indicating an international image impact as well.

Combined with her passive performance and audience indifference, HyunA's status as the 'Performance Queen' is at risk. It remains to be seen whether she can regain her fans' support amidst the image fallout.

Meanwhile, HyunA and Yong Jun-hyung are set to marry on October 11th at Samcheonggak.