South Korea has recorded 182,000 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections and 2,060 deaths, according to statistics. The country’s total population is 51,315,625, and 22 million citizens have already been administered at least one shot of the Covid-19 vaccine. Compared to other countries, South Korea responded well to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers believe that the Asian country learned from past experiences, such as the time when it struggled with the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), back in 2015.
The Kpop industry has been affected by the pandemic
Although the infection rate is low in South Korea, the Kpop industry has been seriously affected due to the lack of concerts. Many activities have been suspended and idols got infected with the coronavirus. So far, several Kpop singers have been in self-quarantine, and many have had positive tests for COVID-19. Some of the idols who tested positive are Chungha, Gyu-ri, Yiren (Kara) and Sihyeon (Everglow), members of the Up10tion band, Lee Chan-won, San (Ateez), Seo In-young (Cinderella), Seo Ji-soo (LovelyZ), two members of Treasure and many others.
Are in-person events necessary?
After so many Kpop idols got infected with the coronavirus ever since the outbreak back in 2019, many fans believe that in-person events are not a good idea for the moment. The most recent idols who tested positive for the coronavirus were Doyoung and Yung-hwan from Treasure and Minhyuk from BTOB. Doyoung found out he was positive after using an at-home kit. Sources claim that many idols use rapid at-home tests, and some of them found out they were infected without experiencing any symptoms. Minhyuk’s test also confirmed on the 17th of July that he was infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The initial test was negative, but it is common for idols to self-quarantine and repeat COVID tests.