It has become clear that the COVID-19 virus spares no one, whether you're famous or not.
Just like many other countries and territories, South Korea is grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as they attempt to live life with the existence of the virus.
The Korean entertainment industry was rocked by several high-profile COVID-19 cases involving popular Korean drama stars and K-pop idols.
One of them is actor-model Ji Chang-wook, who was in the middle of his shoot for the Netflix original series “The Sound of Magic when he tested positive. He has since recovered after his bout with the dreaded disease.
Last February 2022, Korean global superstar Park Seo-joon contracted the highly-contagious virus but since the actor has been fully-vaccinated and had received his booster shot, Seo-joon was able to finish his isolation on February 25.
Once again, the virus is hitting various prominent figures in Korea, especially K-pop idols who are back to embarking on their world tours and performing in front of huge crowds.
Here are other Korean celebrities who contracted COVID-19 in this gallery.
'Empress Ki' star Ji Chang-wook was one of the growing list of Korean entertainment personalities who got infected with the dreaded virus.
K-entertainment site Soompi quoted a source from Chang-wook's agency Glorious Entertainment that the actor has recovered and will soon return to shooting 'The Sound of Magic.'
Treasure's Doyoung was reported to have tested postive for the virus on July 13.
In a statement released by YG Entertainment, Doyoung has already recovered from the highly-contagious disease.
So Jung-hwan got his positive COVID-19 results on July 16.
Treasure's Jung-hwan is out of the woods already and has recovered as well.
Cube Entertainment confirmed that BTOB's Minhyuk went into self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.
Minhyuk had undergone testing after his vocal teacher turned out positive for the virus.
EXO member Xiumin got discharged from the Korean military in December 2020.
In a statement released on August 5 by EXO'S agency SM Entertainment, Xiumin got a positive result on August 5, a day before he had a PCR Test. The K-pop idol is already doing well and has since recovered from his bout with COVID-19.
It was reported that Korean actress Kim Ji-eun tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the details given by her agency HB Entertainment, she crossed paths with an infected person when she attended a meal. She had initially got a negative result, but later on felt ill and got a positive result on August 19, 2021.
Former I.O.I member Chungha entered the COVID-19 treatment facility on December 7, 2020, after getting a positive result.
The now solo artist has since recovered from her bout with the coronavirus disease after completing the mandated isolation procedures in South Korea.
In September 202, six of the seven members of ENHYPEN were tested positive for COVID-19.
According to a statement released by the group's agency BELIFT LAB on September 2- Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, and Sunghoon contracted COVID-19. Unfortunately, three days later, they confirmed that Japanese born Ni-Ki was also postive for COVID-19.
Part of the statement from ENHYPEN's agency read, "All the members are resting with a clean bill of health. Sunoo also underwent re-testing in order to exit self-quarantine and was found to be negative,"
On September 19, entertainment agency Fantagio confirmed that Jinjin of K-pop idol group ASTRO tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, his fellow members Moonbin and Sanha received negative results, but will continue their quarantine following government guidelines.
It was confirmed by C-JeS Entertainment that their talent Yoo Teo turned out positive for COVID-19 on Monday, October 4, 2021. According to their statement, which was published by Soompi, Teo had just returned from filming in the US and got a negative result on October 1, but was showing symptoms like high fever and had to be retested. Yoo Teo appeared in several K-drama projects like 'Arthdal Chronicles' and 'Vagabond.'
Jun, leader of 5-member boygroup ACE has tested positive for COVID-19 after exhibiting mild symptoms. This was confirmed by the group's label BEAT Interactive on October 4, 2021.
On October 8, 2021, BEAT Interactive released a statement that another ACE member, Chan, tested positive for the virus while in self-isolation after being exposed to his bandmate Jun.
Their fans Choice are eagerly awaiting the pair's recovery.
Lead vocalist and dancer Lee Sang Hyuk, better known as Dawon of South Korean boy group SF9, tested positive for COVID-19 on October 13, 2021.
Along with Dawon, Hwiyoung also contracted the virus.
He is the rapper, supporting vocalist, and dancer in the group SF9.
The two SF9 members are now taking necessary measures as instructed by the disease control authorities in South Korea.
It was reported by South Korean actress Kang Ye-won's own agency, J-Wide Company, that she tested positive for the coronavirus disease.
According to reports by Soompi and allkpop.com, Ye-won received a negative result on October 19. Due to her poor condition, she had another test on October 23, which yielded a positive result. The actress is part of the new JTBC drama with Red Velvet member Joy and Kim Kyung-nam. Source
Varo Entertainment, the talent management agency handling the career of Jin Goo, said that he was exposed to a person infected with COVID-19 last month. The 'Descendants of the Sun' actor tested positive for the virus on November 1 and has been receiving treatment at an isolation facility.
Super Junior member Shindong took a break from all his projects when he confirmed that he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on November 11, 2021.
Lisa of BLACKPINK was diagnosed with COVID-19 on November 24, 2021.
Her co-members are still waiting for the results of their COVID-19 tests.
On December 4, YG Entertainment announced that Lisa had been released from self quarantine and fully recovered from COVID-19.
Other members of BLACKPINK Jisoo, Rose, and Jennue tested negative for the virus.
On December 9, South Korean actress Yoon Eun-hye shared on Instagram that she tested positive for COVID-19 after one of her family members had been feeling unwell and got a positive result for the virus.
On December 10, Choi Siwon received a positive result after he took a PCR COVID-19 test as part of precautionary measures for his regular entertainment activities.
Label SJ shared that the other members of Super Junior have tested negative for the virus.
A day before Christmas, Big Hit Music confirmed that the "Daechwita" rapper-producer was positive for COVID-19 after returning home to South Korea on Thursday, December 23.
After the announcement, "GET WELL SOON YOONGI" quickly rose to Twitter's trending charts as BTS fans expressed their love and support for him in his journey to recovery.
On Christmas day, two more BTS members were confirmed to have contracted the virus. BTS leader and main rapper, RM, had already tested negative before starting his mandatory self-quarantine at home on December 17.
Before his release on December 25, the "forever rain" rapper took another RT-PCR test which turned out positive. RM is currently an asymptomatic carrier.
Upon his arrival from the United States on December 6, Jin took an RT-PCR test, completed his mandatory self-quarantine, and tested negative before his release.
However, after exhibiting mild flu-like symptoms, he decided to take an RT-PCR test which reflected a positive result. Jin is currently undergoing self-treatment at home.
After Choi Siwon and Shindong's bout with COVID-19 in 2021, Super Junior member Eunhyuk was reported to have tested positive for the coronavirus.
However, Eunhyuk's talent management agency, Label SJ, has assured the fans that he is only experiencing mild symptoms since he's fully vaccinated and has received his booster shot.
At least four members of the YG idol group iKON are currently taking time off from their hectic schedule, after contracting the dreaded new coronavirus disease. On January 23, YG stated that Jinhwan, Yunhyeong, and Donghyuk got a positive result, after experiencing mild cold symptoms. But on Tuesday (January 25), the talent agency again issued another statement, and this time Junhoe has also tested positive and is currently in isolation.
Alongside announcing that iKON's Junhoe was positive, YG Entertainment also added the name of Yoshi from the group Treasure, who also got a positive result from his PCR test. The good news, both Yoshi and Junhoe have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Yuna's agency, Brave Entertainment, announced in the group's fancafe that the idol took a PCR test after her condition 'suddenly worsened.' Yuna has already received the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
In an announcement posted on the fan community platform Weverse, BigHit Music revealed that BTS member Jimin was admitted into a hospital for abdominal pain. Jimin was then diagnosed with acute appendicitis and also tested positive for COVID-19.
BTS member V was revealed as COVID-19 positive on the fan community platform Weverse. According to his agency, BigHit Music, the member experienced “a mild sore throat and took the PCR test.” His symptoms appear to be a mild fever and sore throat.
Korean entertainment personality Jessi received a positive result from her test last February 23, 2021, after exhibiting mild symptoms. Also sick from COVID-19 is Lovelyz member Lee Mijoo, who has suspicious symptoms, too. Her results came back positive, after getting a PCR test on February 22, 2022. The two have been fully vaccinated and will take time off from their schedule to focus on their recovery.
Awesome ENT assured the fans of 'Itaewon Class' actor Park Seo-joon that he will finish his mandatory isolation on February 25, after getting a positive result from his PCR test last February 19. The good news, Seo-joon has no “major symptoms”, since he is fully vaccinated and got his boosters already.
According to Super Junior's agency Label SJ, Kyuhyun received a positive result through a rapid antigen test conducted before the staging of the musical "Frankenstein," and was confirmed via PCR test on February 18, 2022.
Super Junior's Ryeowook tested positive for COVID-19 on February 27, 2022 through a PCR test.
ITZY's Ryujin was confirmed to have COVID-19 on February 27, 2022. According to her agency JYP Entertainment, she is fully vaccinated and also received a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
SHINee member Key tested positive for COVID-19 on March 2, 2022 and is experiencing mild symptoms.
As a result, the K-pop idol halted all his scheduled activities and is now being treated at home.
A member of the boygroup ZE:A, Kwanghee tested positive for COVID-19 last weekend. According to his agency, Bonboo ENT, the idol and host first tested positive with a self-test kit and received a final positive result with a PCR test taken at a hospital.
HyunA also tested positive for COVID-19 last March. The singer had been suffering from a low fever before taking a rapid antigen test and a PCR test that confirmed her positive result. The singer even posted a photo of her temperature reading on her Instagram account.
DK, real name Lee Seok-min, is just one of the six members of the group SEVENTEEN to test positive for COVID-19. DK took the COVID-19 test after experiencing a mild sore throat.
SEVENTEEN's leader S.Coups, real name Choi Seung Cheol, was experiencing a cough and a stuffy nose before taking the COVID-19 test and testing positive for the disease.
The8 is the stage name for Xu Minghao, another member of SEVENTEEN who tested positive for COVID-19. Just like S.Coups, his only symptom was a mild cough.
Hoshi was the first SEVENTEEN member to test positive for the disease this March. He experienced sore throat and cough before deciding to take the COVID-19 test.
Seungkwan testing positive for the virus was announced the same day as DK. Seungkwan's only symptoms were body aches.
Vernon tested positive for COVID-19 back in February after taking a self-test kit after experiencing a sore throat. A PCR test confirmed the positive result but other than a sore throat, Vernon did not exhibit other symptoms.
Just like Vernon, Wonwoo was suffering from a sore throat as well as a mild fever that led him to take a PCR test that later ended up in a positive result.
SEVENTEEN's Joshua's positive test result was just announced last February through the Weverse platform. His initial test came out negative but a PCR test later came out positive. He did not exhibit any particular symptoms.
Jun testing positive for COVID-19 was announced at the same time as Joshua. Unlike Joshua, Jun tested positive on both antigen and PCR tests.
Minhyun, who was also a member of WannaOne, tested positive for COVID-19 last March. He was suffering from a sore throat and a mild fever and first tested negative on a self-test kit before a PCR test confirmed he was positive for the disease.
BigHit Music, Soobin's agency, announced his positive diagnosis last March. He had a cold and tested positive during a rapid antigen test and tested positive again with a PCR test. His symptoms were a cough and a sore throat.
Yeonjun tested positive for COVID-19 last February. He was suffering from a headache when he took a PCR test that tested negative but still decided to do preemptive quarantine. He later developed other symptoms like a fever and a sore throat and then tested positive after taking another PCR test.
K-drama actress Han Hyo-joo, famous for her roles in W: Two Worlds and “Happiness, was also diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus last July 20, 2022. According to her agency BH Entertainment, the actress is currently self-isolating and will have to postpone filming her upcoming film Believer 2.
After ENHYPEN released their new song “ParadoXXX Invasion,” BE:LIFT LAB announced that one of the members, Jay, tested positive for COVID-19. The K-pop idol was said to be showing symptoms such as mild sore throat and body aches. Jay is currently being treated at home.
After Jay's diagnosis, ENHYPEN's Jake also tested positive from a rapid antigen test on July 21. Jake is currently experiencing a mild body ache but is being treated at home like Jay. The two member's status resulted in the group's cancellation of promotional activities for their new song.
In a statement released by Billlie's agency, Mystic Story, they announced that Suhyeon tested positive for COVID-19 last July 20. According to the agency, Suhyeon is experiencing mild cold symptoms and is undergoing self-isolation. Billlie has suspended their scheduled activities as of the moment.
Another member from Billlie also tested positive last July 20 and that is Siyoon. According to Mystic Story, their agency, Siyoon is showing the same symptoms as Suhyeon and is currently self-isolating.
Last July 15, WAKEONE Entertainment and Swing Entertainment also announced that Kep1er's Yeseo, real name Kang Ye-seo, tested positive for COVID-19. The K-pop idol has already completed her second dose of COVID-19 vaccination and is currently self-isolating. Other members of the group tested negative and showed no symptoms.
Korean actor and former member of K-pop boy group Wanna One, Ong Seong-wu also tested positive for COVID-19. According to the announcement posted on his online fan cafe last July 21, Ong Seong-wu is currently experiencing a mild sore throat and has postponed all of his schedules.
Another member of ENHYPEN tested positive for COVID-19 and that is Heeseung. According to BE:LIFT LAB, Heeseung is experiencing a mild cold and is currently being treated at home away from the other members.
Joining the list of K-pop idols testing positive this season is NCT's Mark Lee. SM Entertainment, the group's agency, announced that Mark tested positive for COVID-19 and is unable to join NCT DREAM's second solo concert scheduled for July 29 to 31. Mark has already received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and is currently self-isolating.
Korean rapper and former member of K-pop boy group Block B, Zico, also tested positive for COVID-19. The K-pop idol is currently experiencing symptoms such as a mild sore throat and body aches and is treated at home. According to his agency KOZ Entertainment, Zico's comeback schedules are canceled as his health is their top priority.
EPEX's Keum was also reported to be positive for COVID-19. According to C9 Entertainment, the group's agency, Keum tested positive for a rapid antigen test last July 26. Having completed the third dose of his vaccine, Keum is currently experiencing mild headaches and a sore throat and is self-isolating. Other members of the group tested negative and are separated from Keum.
Almost all of K-pop girl group TRI.BE's members tested positive for COVID-19. Their agency TR Entertainment confirmed that SongSun, Kelly, HyunBin, Jia, and MiRe tested positive yet do not have any notable symptoms aside from lightly sore throats. Due to this, their upcoming schedules will have to be canceled. TRI.BE's SoEun is the only member who confirmed negative while Jinha is currently on temporary hiatus due to health concerns.
A few days after NCT's Mark Lee tested positive, SM Entertainment confirmed that member Renjun also tested positive for COVID-19. According to their agency, Renjun felt symptoms of an abnormal condition. He is currently self-isolating and receiving treatment at home. Due to this, NCT DREAM's upcoming second solo concert scheduled for July 29 to 31 is already canceled.
TVXQ's Max Changmin is also added to the list of Korean idols testing positive for COVID-19. In a statement released on TOHOSHINKI's website, it is confirmed that the artist tested positive and is undergoing quarantine. Along with this, Max Changmin's schedule will have to be postponed. He was also recently seen working with SHINee's Minho but there are no updates yet regarding the other artist's condition.
Ahead of their Super Show 9: Road in Manila, Super Junior's Siwon had to back out last minute as the Korean singer tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement released by Label SJ, they confirmed the news and said that Siwon was experiencing minimal symptoms. Filo ELFs were saddened by the news but wished Siwon a speedy recovery.
As K-pop girl group Girls' Generation make their long-awaited comeback, member Seohyun was reported to have been tested for COVID-19 and is currently receiving treatment and resting. The group's scheduled appearances on Mnet's 'M Countdown' and SBS's 'Inkigayo' were also canceled. Seohyun personally apologized to their fans on her Instagram Stories but SONEs understand the situation and wished her a speedy recovery.
ATBO's Jeong Seunghwan also tested positive for COVID-19 and has currently halted all of his activities. In a statement released by IST Entertainment, the agency confirmed the news and said that Jeong Seunghwan is experiencing mild cold symptoms. No other members from the group tested positive but are said to be in close monitoring.
Korean singer and dubbed Queen of K-pop BoA also tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement made by SM Entertainment posted through the fan community KWANGYA CLUB, the agency confirmed the news and said that BoA is currently receiving treatment and resting.