K-pop boy band BTS cancels April Seoul concert amid virus concerns

SEOUL (Reuters) - K-Pop boy band BTS cancelled its scheduled April concert in Seoul, amid growing concerns of the new coronavirus outbreak, according to Yonhap. BTS had scheduled a “Map of the Soul” tour for April 11, 12, 18 and 19 at Seoul’s Jamsil Olympic Stadium, according to its music label, Big Hit Entertainment. South Korea reported 256 new coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the total number of infected in the country to 2,022. Earlier, an annual K-pop festival is not happening in Hong Kong this year due to months-long political unrest, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. Hong Kong has hosted the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) since 2012, where top K-pop artists including global phenomenon boyband BTS performed for years. In previous years, tens of thousands of K-pop fans packed stadiums in Hong Kong for the awards. The move follows a number of organisers delaying or cancelling sports, concerts and other events due to the pro-democracy protests. Hong Kong’s premier women’s tennis event planned for October was postponed. The city’s soccer matches were also postponed. Hong Kong police shot and critically wounded a protester and a man was doused with petrol and set on fire on Monday as the Chinese-ruled territory spiralled into rare working-day violence in its 24th week of unrest. “This year, after internal discussions, the MAMA organizer decided not to hold the event in Hong Kong because of the protests,” the source said. South Korea’s CJ ENM Co Ltd, the show’s organizer, told Reuters in a statement that Hong Kong had not been chosen as the event’s venue, considering “various circumstances,” without elaborating. The music awards will take place in Nagoya, Japan on December 4, CJ ENM added.