Korean actress Kim Ji-eun, 27,who is starring in the upcoming K-drama “The Veil,” aka “Black Sun,” has tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
HB Entertainment, her agency, made the announcement on Aug. 19, saying, “We would like to inform you that actress Kim Ji-eun, who is affiliated with our company, has been confirmed with COVID-19 today (Aug. 19).”
It said after filming the drama on Aug. 11, she had a meal and crossed paths with a confirmed COVID-19 case. She underwent testing immediately after the filming of the drama and her result was negative.
Kim Ji-eun underwent self-quarantine but felt ill and was retested, which came out positive. She was admitted into a treatment center on Aug. 19.
As a result, the cast and staff of “The Veil” were tested for COVID-19. Korean media quoted a representative from Korean channel MBC, which will air the drama starting Sept. 17, that Kim Ji-eun tested positive during self-quarantine and she was not infected during the drama filming so no one was classified as a close contact.
Since filming of “The Veil” is ongoing, the representative said, there may be some adjustments to the schedule but Kim Ji-eun’s condition will not affect the overall filming of the drama. “The Veil” will also star actor Namgoong Min and actress Park Ha-sun.
The Korean entertainment industry continues to be affected by COVID-19 cases. Last Aug. 16, two producers of the TV music show “M Countdown” tested positive for COVID-19 and the airing of the show on Aug. 19 was cancelled.
On Aug. 19, South Korea recorded 2,152 new confirmed COVID-19 cases to bring the total confirmed cases to 230,808.