April fool: Coronavirus hoax K-pop star under investigation and could face prison sentence
- Kim Jae-joong is under investigation for claiming he had Covid-19 and was in hospital in an online April Fool’s joke
- He later said he did it to raise awareness, but could face a large fine or a prison sentence for spreading false information
A K-pop star who claimed he had contracted the novel coronavirus but later said it was an April Fool’s Day prank is under investigation and could face up to five years in prison or a fine of 10 million won (US$8,100).
The organisation said Kim’s case “involves the spreading of false information, so we’re discussing how exactly the punishment will be carried out”.
“It’s possible to punish those who are reported for inciting disorder by continually making malicious prank phone calls to the epidemic prevention authorities, however this case is something done by a celebrity on social media, so more internal discussion is required.”
On Wednesday, Kim announced to his 1.9 million Instagram followers in Korean that “I’ve been infected with Covid-19. This was all due to my carelessness, for ignoring the advice provided by the government and all those around me. It’s a wonder how significantly one person’s actions can affect the greater society. I am apologetic toward those who may have also been inflicted with the virus because of me … I am being hospitalised.”
However, in another post an hour later, Kim revealed the announcement was an April Fool’s prank allegedly aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of the coronavirus.