Members of BTOB, ITZY and Weeekly test positive for Covid-19

K-pop

Published: 15 Feb. 2022, 14:11 Updated: 15 Feb. 2022, 17:52

Members of BTOB, ITZY and Weeekly test positive for Covid-19

BTOB member Seo Eun-kwang, first from right, tested positive for Covid-19, according to Cube Entertainment Tuesday. [ILGAN SPORTS]

Members of boy band BTOB and girl groups ITZY and Weeekly tested positive for Covid-19, according to their respective agencies on Monday and Tuesday.

Cube Entertainment on Tuesday said that BTOB member Seo Eun-kwang tested positive for Covid-19.

Seo had a sore throat since Monday, according to the agency. He tested negative for the virus during a self-Covid test, but was later deemed positive when he took a PCR test at a hospital.

“Seo has been vaccinated twice and is currently under self-quarantine,” Cube Entertainment said in a statement. “The rest of the members of BTOB have taken preemptive tests for the virus as well.”

BTOB is scheduled to begin its promotional activities for the group’s third full-length album “Be Together” on Feb. 21.

The agency has not yet announced any postponements of the band’s upcoming activities.

BTOB debuted in 2012 and is well-known for hit songs “Way Back Home” (2015), “Remember That” (2016) and “Missing You” (2017). The band is comprised of six members: Seo Eun-kwang, Lee Min-hyuk, Lee Chang-sub, Im Hyun-sik, Peniel Shin and Yook Sung-jae. The band recently held a fan meet in December.

Girl group ITZY member Yeji, first from left, tested positive for the virus on Monday according to her agency, JYP Entertainment on Monday. [ILGAN SPORTS]

Girl group ITZY member Yeji tested positive for the virus on Monday according to her agency, JYP Entertainment on the same day.

The agency said that Yeji took a preemptive PCR test on Saturday after another member in the group, Lia, tested positive.

Yeji’s initial PCR results came out as “undetermined.” She took a second PCR test Sunday which deemed her positive for the virus.

Along with Lia, Yeji is being treated for the virus at home as she has no symptoms besides a mild fever.

The agency added that Yeji has been vaccinated twice.

Other members of the girl group, Yuna, Chaeryong and Ryujin, tested negative for the virus, according to the agency.

ITZY debuted in 2019 with the song “Dalla Dalla.” It has hit songs “Icy” (2019), “Wannabe” (2020), “Not Shy” (2020), “Mafia in the Morning” (2021) and “Loco” (2021).

Girl group Weeekly member Lee Soo-jin, fourth from left, also tested positive for the virus, according to IST Entertainment on Tuesday. [ILGAN SPORTS]

Girl group Weeekly member Lee Soo-jin also tested positive for the virus, according to IST Entertainment on Tuesday.

“Lee displayed mild symptoms of a cold over the weekend and took a test which confirmed that she was virus-positive,” said the agency in statement.

Last month, member Lee Jae-hee of Weeekly tested positive for Covid-19.

The group is slated to begin promotional activities for their new single “Play Game: Awake” in March 7. The agency has not yet announced any postponements of the group’s scheduled activities.

Weeekly is a seven-member girl group that debuted in June last year with the song “Tag Me (@Me).” “After School,” the lead track from its third EP, “We play,” released in March 2021, landed at No. 1 on Spotify’s Viral 50 Global chart.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co,kr]