Coronavirus in Korea: how K-pop stars from Twice to NCT are coping with social distancing
- Cut off from meeting their fans and with no concerts on the horizon, Korean stars are dealing with being stuck at home
- From making specialist coffee to asking fans for menu advice to doing art and crafts, here are some K-pop solutions to the shutdown
From delayed comebacks to cancelled shows and postponed productions, the coronavirus pandemic is taking a serious toll on the Korean entertainment industry.
New cases may have dropped significantly in South Korea since infection rates peaked four weeks ago, but fears of the virus have sent much of the showbiz industry into shutdown mode – forcing K-pop artists to free up their tightly packed schedules and stay at home in the interests of social isolation.
Although this gives them a well-deserved break from their hectic lifestyles, it also leaves them with plenty of free time. Being natural-born entertainers, some stars have started to see social distancing as an opportunity to interact with their fans in creative ways, making self-isolation just a little bit more fun for all of us.
Here’s what some of these celebs have been up to.
Twice
Fans of the girl band were disappointed when the final shows of their “Twicelights” tour in Seoul on March 7 and 8 were cancelled. Thankfully, the girls have been popping by the V Live video streaming service to surprise fans with all sorts of quirky content – from playing a hilarious round of the Mafia card game, to trying their hand at whipping up Dalgona coffee, to doing mukbang-themed ASMR challenges.