KUALA LUMPUR: Big Hit Entertainment, which manages popular K-Pop group BTS, apologised recently on behalf of one of the group's members who had apparently visited a bar in Seoul last month.
According to news reports, the agency said last Monday that the idol in question, Jungkook, had visited a restaurant and a bar in the Itaewon neighbourhood with friends on April 25.
A fresh cluster of Covid-19 cases had emerged in that neighbourhood this month as social distancing measures eased on May 6, prompting South Korean authorities to close bars and clubs again and delay the reopening of schools.
"We have no excuse that we placed the artiste's personal life before we were able to emphasise the importance of social distancing. We bow our head in apology.
"He is also deeply regretting how he did not follow social distancing measures seriously," said Big Hit.
The company added that the 22-year-old idol, who was there before the first case among Itaewon clubgoers was confirmed, does not have any of the symptoms and has also tested negative for the coronavirus.
Korean media earlier reported that three other idols - Cha Eun-woo of Astro, Mingyu of Seventeen and Jaehyun of NCT - were at the same outing together with Jungkook.
The respective agencies for the three celebrities had issued statements confirming that they were in Itaewon on the same day as Jungkook and apologised for their failure to follow social distancing measures as well.
It was reported that the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had announced that, as of Monday, 170 cases have been traced to the Itaewon outbreak, with a few hundred in self-isolation.