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| ▲ Members of the K-pop phenom BTS pose for the camera during a press conference at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Nov. 29, 2021, in this photo provided by its agency Big Hit Music. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Yonhap) -- K-pop supergroup BTS will not be able to attend the 2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), scheduled on Dec. 11, as health authorities in South Korea have decided to reimpose strict mandatory quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the emerging omicron variant of COVID-19.
According to the music industry on Thursday, the government has required all international arrivals to undergo mandatory quarantine for 10 days for the next two weeks starting Friday, regardless of whether they are vaccinated. .
Since BTS is currently in Los Angeles for its live in-person concert, which began on Nov. 27, and is scheduled to perform at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour on Dec. 3, the group will not be able to avoid the ten day quarantine measures.
Naturally, all staff members from Big Hit Music, BTS' agency, who stayed together with the K-pop act will also be self-quarantined.
However, an official from the music industry pointed out that the government was imposing the mandatory quarantine measures too quickly without any grace period.
Nevertheless, BTS will be in self-quarantine for ten days and is presumed to not attend K-pop industry's biggest annual year-end music awards show. While BTS can still meet fans through video, BTS' absence is expected to disappoint many fans.
Mnet, a cabel channel that hosts the annual MAMA event, has avoided in giving a definite answer on whether BTS will appear at the awards ceremony. BTS attended the event last year and won eight awards, including four grand prizes.
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