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| K-pop boy band UP10TION member BIT-TO tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday. Courtesy of Top Media |
By Lee Gyu-lee
Several K-pop stars are on alert after appearing in TV music shows with boy band UP10TION member BIT-TO who tested positive for COVID-19, Monday.
The group's agency Top Media delivered the news through a statement the same day, saying he had been confirmed to have the virus that morning.
"After BIT-TO finished his activities on the 29th, he learned that he had been in close contact with a virus patient and was requested to take the test," it said, adding the group will be canceling its scheduled activities.
Kogyeol, another band member, also tested positive, the agency said, Tuesday. "The rest of the members tested negative but they will be in self-quarantine for two weeks," it said.
BIT-TO's positive test caused panic on the K-pop scene as he performed with various artists on MBC's "Show! Music Core," Saturday, and SBS's "Inkigayo," Sunday.
They included aespa, NCT, AKMU, TREASURE and Stray Kids, who quickly moved to get tested, postponing their schedules as they waited for the results.
SBS MTV music program "The Show" canceled Tuesday's live show as it involved most of the artists from the MBC and SBS shows.
AKMU and TREASURE's agency YG Entertainment and Stray Kids' agency JYP Entertainment said Tuesday their artists have all tested negative and will return to work.
Boy band SF9's Kang Chan-hee, who hosts "Show! Music Core," said on his fan website that he had tested negative.
SBS is tracing the close contacts of UP10TION and confirming the list with other networks' music shows.
"We have asked other music shows to cooperate and share the information needed to figure out who possibly came in contact with BIT-TO," an "Inkigayo" official said.
