Girl group Kep1er postpones debut due to COVID-19 concerns
K-pop girl group Kep1er / Courtesy of Wake One Entertainment, Swing Entertainment
By Dong Sun-hwa
K-pop girl group Kep1er has postponed its debut due to COVID-19 concerns.
The nine-piece act was initially set to debut with the album “FIRST IMPACT” on Dec. 14, but its management companies Wake One Entertainment and Swing Entertainment pushed back the date after one of their staff members tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 4.
All Kep1er members tested negative, according to the companies.
“None of them are showing any signs of the virus,” Wake One and Swing said in a statement Monday. “Staff members who underwent COVID-19 testing all tested negative, and those who are still waiting for their results are currently in self-quarantine. For the safety of everyone, we called off the group's scheduled events, which means we also have to postpone Kep1er's debut. We are sorry to deliver this news.”
The companies added that they will announce the new date soon.
“We will do our best to ensure that our singers and the staff work in the safest environment possible.”
Kep1er is a multinational group consisting of nine winners from Mnet's survival show, “Girls Planet 999” (2021). The members include Yujin, Mashiro, Xiaoting, Chaehyun, Dayeon, Hikaru, Huening Bahiyyih, Youngeun and Yeseo.