After Suga, BTS' RM and Jin test positive for Covid-19

The seven-member boy band recently returned from the US, where they held their first in-person concerts since pandemic

SEOUL:

Three members of the South Korean K-pop sensation BTS have been diagnosed with coronavirus after returning from abroad. Rapper RM and vocalist Jin tested positive for the virus on Saturday evening, the group's management agency Big Hit Music said.

Earlier, the agency announced that another member, Suga, received positive Covid-19 test results on Friday while self-quarantining but was asymptomatic and "administering self-care at home."

The seven-member superstar boy band recently returned from the United States, where they held their first in-person concerts since the start of the pandemic.

The concerts were held in Los Angeles from late November to the beginning of December. The band members had been on vacation since the end of their concert series. Each of the three infected artists returned to South Korea on different dates, and the three members are fully vaccinated.

How are the band members feeling?

While RM appears to be asymptomatic, Jin has reported mild symptoms with light fever and is undergoing self-treatment at home, the agency said in its statement. On Friday, Big Hit Music had said that Suga was not showing any symptoms.

RM had tested negative after returning from the US but was diagnosed with Covid-19 ahead of his release from self-quarantine, the agency said. Jin took two Covid-19 tests upon his arrival and before his release from self-isolation, testing negative both times. However, he exhibited flu-like symptoms on Saturday afternoon and took another test that returned positive.

The US and South Korea are witnessing surging Covid-19 cases as the omicron variant of the virus spread worldwide. Big Hit Music said it places the "highest priority on the health and safety of our artists." 

Back onstage

K-Pop sensation played their first in-person concerts last month since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, and legions of die-hard fans have descended on Los Angeles to see their idols in the flesh. The seven-member group from South Korea held the first of four Permission to Dance on Stage concerts at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on November 27.

Speaking at a news conference before their second show at that time, RM had said being on stage again for the first time since 2019 was an emotional experience. "Seeing all the fans, seeing the stadium filled with all the fans yesterday got me really emotional beyond words," RM told reporters. The concerts are BTS' first since 2019 when they wrapped up their last tour from North America to Europe to Asia.

As the pandemic spread last year, the band postponed and then called off what was meant to be their biggest international tour involving nearly 40 concerts, holding online shows instead. Since their 2013 debut, BTS have spearheaded a global K-pop craze with catchy, upbeat music and dances, as well as lyrics and social campaigns aimed at empowering young people.

BTS gained global fandom with their super-hit single Dynamite that was placed number one on the Billboard Hot 100 last year. In October, their collaboration with British rock band Coldplay, My Universe, reached  No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it BTS' sixth Hot 100 No 1.

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