BTS cancel Korean shows over Coronavirus fears

Korean pop megastars BTS have been forced to cancel the Seoul dates of their Map Of The Soul world tour due to concerns over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that has been sweeping the globe and acutely affecting specific regions in Asia. In a statement to ticketholders, BTS’ management company Big Hit Entertainment explains that, while the band didn’t want to cancel their opening hometown shows, the coronavirus concern “has made it impossible at this time to predict the scale of the outbreak during the dates of the concert in April,” noting that the frequent movement of touring staff and concert equipment makes an arena show a hotbed for potential transmission.

“While we hope that the situation will improve, we must take into consideration the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of guests as well as our artists,” the statement continues. “We have thus determined that with approximately one month left before the Seoul concert is set to begin, it is unavoidable that the concert must be cancelled without further delay.” Tickets will be refunded at the point of sale; read the full statement over at Stereogum.