'Hidden Singer' show reduces audience by half amid Covid spike

The JTBC show "Hidden Singer" will reduce its studio audience size by half in response to the government's increased social distancing level, the media company said Monday.

The government recently raised the alert level for Seoul and Gyeonggi, following the recent surge in Covid-19 cases.

"For a safer recording environment, only those who signed up in advance will participate in today’s 'Hidden Singer' recording, which is less than half the size of the audience originally planned," JTBC said in a statement.

"Hidden Singer" is a music quiz show featuring a singer and multiple impersonators who can imitate the singer’s voice. Each stands behind a curtain while they perform verses of the artist’s songs, and the audience tries to guess who the real singer is. If the imitator gets the most votes by the final round by faking the real singer’s voice, the impersonator wins a cash prize of 20 million won ($17,000).

Unlike many music performance programs, "Hidden Singer" has continued to feature a live audience, as the program requires audience participation.

The recording will be carried out per the government's social distancing guidelines. The audience will be required to wear masks, have their temperatures checked, not consume food or drinks and maintain a distance of at least 2 meters (6 feet) from each other when entering or leaving the recording studio.

BY KIM YEON-AH [kim.yeonah@joongang.co.kr]