K-pop’s Jungkook, Park Gyu-ri and Song Min-ho all face backlash for partying during coronavirus, but who was really in the wrong?

As South Korea endures its second wave of coronavirus outbreaks, those that have been spotted at potential hotspots are under intense scrutiny and criticism. While most of the general public may glide under the radar, celebrities are at the centre of the rumour mill. Here we separate fact from fiction.

Fact

Kara’s leader Park Gyu-ri was spotted at the particular club under fire for the latest cluster of coronavirus cases. Although she later went for testing, promised to stay home under self-quarantine and assured the public that she was wearing a mask the entire time, many found it hard to believe she would not have taken it off, even momentarily. She has since apologised for her actions and has promised to stay home and be more careful. Her social media accounts are now private.

Over the past week online communities have been rife with rumoured sighting of a group of famous male idols in the Itaewon district. This was particularly alarming to the public due to the outbreak of the virus from a club in the district. On the afternoon of May 18, the relevant entertainment companies stepped up with official statements on the issue.

It was admitted that BTS’ Jungkook, Seventeen’s Mingyu, NCT’s Jaehyun and Astro’s Cha Eun-woo were indeed all together on the night of April 24.

However, it has been stressed by the companies that the boys only went to restaurants and bars, and did not go to clubs at the centre of the issue.