BTS Cancels Korean Tour Dates Over Coronavirus Outbreak

BTS has canceled several concerts planned in Korea due to the global coronavirus outbreak, according to a post on the group's Weverse (via Twitter). Korea’s Yonhap news agency was first to report the news.

“It is unavoidable that the concert must be canceled without further delay,” reads the post, which was originally written in Korean and translated by Variety. “Please understand that this decision was made after extensive and careful consideration.”

The canceled shows, the first on the group’s Map of the Soul world tour, were slated to take place on April 11, 12, 18 and 19 at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in Seoul. Ticket buyers will receive automatic refunds.

South Korea is a center of infection for the virus (COVID-19), which has infected more than 80,000 people and killed over 2,700 worldwide at last count. As a result of the pandemic -- which originated in Wuhan, China, and has now spread to more than 40 countries -- over 20,000 music events have been canceled or postponed in both China and Hong Kong, resulting in ticketing and box-office losses of 2 billion yuan ($286 million), according to the China Association of Performing Arts.

The coronavirus has also resulted in concert cancelations outside Asia. On Tuesday, it was announced that the 18th annual Korea Times Music festival, which had been scheduled for April 25 at Los Angeles’s Hollywood Bowl, had been “provisionally postponed.” The festival had already announced performances by K-pop girl group MOMOLAND, solo singer and former Wanna One member Ha Sungwoon and rock band No Brain, with more to be announced.

With the Seoul dates canceled, the next BTS concerts are scheduled to take place April 25 and 26 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The group will follow that with three concerts at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on May 2, 3, and 5.