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New Rumors about Entertainers With AIDS

Published: 04 Jan. 2003, 19:09

Rumors about Korean entertainers having contracted AIDS have been around for quite a while. But this time, the rumors have been confirmed and that's leaving everybody curious as to who has the fatal disease.

On June 19 in Munwha Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)'s program "Morning of Producers and Reporters," they say that they obtained a top secret document from the Ministry of Health and Welfare(MOHW) that confirmed that 14 entertainers have contracted AIDS. According to the document, the total number of people with AIDS in Korea is 1,122. Among them, 12 are entertainers, 10 are members of the clergy, and 59 are housewives.

But this document did not contain the actual names of the people, and so, according to the producers of the program, it was impossible to identify the entertainers.

On the subject, an offcial in the MOHW said the term 'entertainer' also means lounge singer,dancer, and musician. He added that nobody famous was included on the list.

A labor union for entertainers also believed the term 'entertainer' meant lounge singers. They said they were also curious as to who the people with AIDS are.

MBC plans to send out interviewers to talk with Japanese people that claim to have treated Korean entertainers with AIDS and AIDS carriers that claim to have had sexual contact with popular entertainers for their June 20 broadcast.

by Kim Tae-jin