Recording of 'I-LAND' halted after cleaner tests positive for Covid-19

The poster for Mnet's audition program "I-LAND" [MNET]

Cable channel Mnet's audition program "I-LAND" will temporarily halt recording schedules of the show for the time being after a maintenance worker was diagnosed with the coronavirus on Saturday.

According to Mnet, the worker — a staff member from a janitorial service company in charge of cleaning the studio — was diagnosed with Covid-19 on Saturday and the studio in Paju, Gyeonggi, immediately shut down and the channel canceled all scheduled shoots.

The worker is said to have no direct contact with the trainees or the producers of the show, but the trainees were pulled out from the on-site dormitory as a precaution and the producers have also been self-quarantining at home.

"The studio in Paju is only accessible to people who record their visitor information as well as body temperatures," said Mnet, reassuring the safety of the studio.

There are pre-recorded episodes for the program and the channel has not changed any broadcasting schedules for "I-LAND" yet, but there are "internal discussions on schedule changes," according to Mnet.

Selected images from the Aug. 14 episode of Mnet's audition program "I-LAND" [MNET]

"I-LAND" began on June 26 as an audition program produced jointly by Mnet and Big Hit Entertainment, which is home to K-pop's biggest boy band BTS.

The first part of the show finished on July 31, where 12 contestants out of the initial 23 made it to the second part of the show.

The second part began on Aug. 14 and was viewed by 650,000 people around the world when it aired live through Mnet and Big Hit Entertainment's official YouTube channel which people tuned in to see BTS cheer the trainees on.

Seven trainees will be chosen to debut as a new boy band after the second part of the show finishes.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]