- Kim Jae-joong has angered South Koreans with his Instagram April Fool’s joke, saying he was infected and in hospital
- He deleted the post and later said he did it to raise awareness of the coronavirus
K-pop singer Kim Jae-joong has come under fire on social media for announcing on Instagram that he had contracted the novel coronavirus, only to reveal an hour later that it was an April Fool's Day joke.
Kim, a former member of the boy band boy band TVXQ as well as the trio JYJ, first announced to his 1.9 million Instagram followers in Korean today that "I've been infected with Covid-19. This was all due to my carelessness, for ignoring the advice provided by the government and all those around me.
"It's a wonder how significantly one person's actions can affect the greater society. I am apologetic toward those who may have also been inflicted with the virus because of me … I am being hospitalised."
But in another post an hour later, Kim revealed the announcement was an April Fool's prank allegedly aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of the coronavirus.
"To have someone you love or someone precious to you be infected with a virus is a heartbreaking thing. Despite that fact, there are so many people who are still roaming the streets, acting as if it won't ever happen to them.
"Many of my acquaintances and staff are also seeing their loved ones testing positive for the virus … Although this prank went quite far for a simple April Fool's joke, many people still became worried about me in a short period.
"This is definitely not something that only happens to other people. I wanted to tell everyone that protecting yourself is also the solution to protecting others. I will receive all punishment that I am due for this post. I hope you will all stay healthy."
I've been infected with Covid-19. This was all due to my carelessness, for ignoring the advice provided by the government and all those around meKim Jae-joong's Instagram post
Both posts have since been deleted from Kim's Instagram page. As South Korea and its K-pop industry have been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, with the country reporting almost 10,000 cases and 162 deaths, and hugely popular acts such as BTS and Twice cancelling concerts around the world, many felt Kim's April Fool's prank went too far.
"Why are you posting a false statement such as this? I hope you are punished," one of Kim's followers commented on his follow-up post. "I regret even listening to your music as a child."
"Did you ever wonder how many others would be hurt by this rash post?" another commented. "I am really disappointed."
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