Coronavirus pandemic: Song Joong-ki stops filming in Colombia

Actor Song Joong-ki returned to Korea from Colombia on Tuesday. Korea Times file

By Dong Sun-hwa

Actor Song Joong-ki has stopped filming his crime thriller “Bogota” in the capital city of Colombia due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Song and some crew members returned to Korea on Tuesday morning. Other actors including Lee Hee-joon and staff came back on Sunday.

The South American country closed its land and sea borders on March 16 to stem the virus and has only allowed restricted air travel. As of Monday, it had 210 confirmed cases of virus and one death.

All cast and crew are reportedly showing no signs of illness. But they are still expected to put themselves into self-quarantine, as the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) recommends overseas travelers isolate themselves for two weeks after returning to Korea.

It is unknown when the filming will resume in Bogota. Since the movie is the story of Korean men who immigrate to Colombia, it practically has no scenes to film in Korea.

Song debuted in the movie “A Frozen Flower” (2008) and has appeared in numerous hit TV series including “Sungkyunkwan Scandal” (2010). He married actress Song Hye-kyo in 2017 after co-starring in the drama “Descendants of the Sun” (2016), but the pair divorced last year.