Famed Korean pop band BTS canceled a concert set for October in the South Korean capital of Seoul as authorities battle a stream of new coronavirus infections.
Earlier in a month, BTS became the first Korean pop act to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts in the United States, with Dynamite, it’s first single entirely in English.
The group’s first concert since the outbreak had been scheduled for October 10 and 11, to be attended by a limited audience observing social distancing norms, its music label, Big Hit Entertainment, said.
Now it is to be live-streamed on the Internet instead.
“We have been planning the in-person component of our concert in order to try to create an opportunity for our artists and fans to meet, despite the challenges created by COVID-19,” Big Hit said in a statement.
“We would like to apologize to all fans who have been looking forward to an in-person concert.”
On Wednesday, BTS delivered a “message of hope” in a pre-recorded video posted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as part of the 75th UN General Assembly.
The group of seven is at the forefront of South Korean pop music, winning converts to K-pop worldwide since its 2013 debut.
