WINNER Mino’s ‘club’ performance defended amid new COVID-19 infections
K-pop boy band WINNER member Mino received criticisms from netizens after it was reported that he performed at a club at a time when strict social distancing measures were still in place in South Korea.
Mino became a collateral damage after new COVID-19 infections were reported in Itaewon, Seoul where a 29-year-old man from Yongin in Gyeonggi Province visited five clubs including King Club, Trunk Club and Queen Club on May 1 and 2, and tested positive for the virus on May 6.
As of May 13, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 119 new positive infections were recorded linked to Itaewon clubs consisting of 102 males and 17 females.
Park Gyuri, former member of girl group KARA, was the first idol singer to be reported to have gone to the Itaewon club on the same day that the 29-year-old man visited, prompting her to issue an apology.
“I’d like to apologize and deeply self-criticize my behavior of not following the safety regulation that everyone has to do during social distancing. I was still wearing a mask from going in until getting out. Right on the day when the news of new infections appeared, I had a test and the result was negative. I am now self-isolating. Once again, I apologize to everyone,” she said, according to Osen.
After her, Korean media reported on May 12 that Mino went to a club in Yangyang in Gangwon Province on May 3 and even performed his song “Fiance.”
“We’ve confirmed that Song Mino recently returned after a private trip with his acquaintances. We apologize for causing concerns to everyone. In the future, the company will be more mindful and ask our artists to pay special attention to the strict adherence to personal hygiene rules and social distancing,” said YG Entertainment.
A rep of the club stated that they did not invite Mino to perform and there were only a few people in attendance and most of them were his acquaintances.
In addition, Korean media outlet Wikitree reported on May 13 that the place where Mino performed was not a regular club but a guesthouse that has a “house club.” The building has rooms on the first to fourth floors while the fifth floor has the house club, which is about 100 pyeong in size, or about 330 sq. m.
The guesthouse also implemented strict measures including requiring guests to use hand sanitizer, undergo temperature check, sign their names on the attendance sheet and wear face masks.
According to Yonhap News, the Korean government started easing strict social distancing measures on May 6, shifting to “everyday life quarantine.”
Under this, people are now allowed to participate in outdoor activities and mass-gathering events including clubbing, going to gyms and attending religious activities.