SEOUL (CelebrityAccess) – K-pop superstars BTS have announced the cancelation of a handful of upcoming concert dates in Seoul, South Korea as the nation continues to struggle in the wake of the recent coronavirus outbreak.
“It is unavoidable that the concert must be canceled without further delay,” said the group’s management agency Big Hit Entertainment in a post originally written in Korean and translated by Variety. “Please understand that this decision was made after extensive and careful consideration.”
The canceled shows, the first on the group’s Map of the Soul world tour, were scheduled to take place April 11-12 and April 18-19 at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium, however, the agency expressed that it had to consider the health and safety of the artists, the production crews and the more than 200,000 concertgoers expected to attend.
Ticket buyers will reportedly receive automatic refunds.
South Korea has been hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak in recent weeks with more than 2,000 reported cases so far.
Over 20,000 music events have reportedly been canceled or postponed in both China and Hong Kong due to the virus, resulting in ticketing and box-office losses of 2 billion yuan ($286 million), according to the China Association of Performing Arts.
BTS’ next concerts are scheduled to take place April 25 and 26 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
