More Korean stars have been diagnosed with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as South Korea’s daily cases soared to more than 170,000 due to the spread of the Omicron variant.
K-pop idol Lee Mi-joo of girl group Lovelyz, actor Lee Sang-yeob and singer Jessi, stars of the Korean TV show “Sixth Sense,” and comedians Kim Min-kyung and Jang Dong-min have tested positive for COVID-19.
Lee Mi-joo’s agency Antenna said she had suspicious symptoms on Feb. 22 and underwent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and was confirmed to have COVID-19 on Feb. 23.
It said Lee Mi-joo was fully vaccinated last October and has suspended her activities because of her diagnosis. As a result, she will be absent from the recording of another TV show, “Hangout with Yoo.” Singer Haha, who recovered from COVID-19, will be joining the filming.
Lee Sang-yeob, whose drama credits include “On the Verge of Insanity” and “Good Casting,” had sore throat and chills and used a self-test kit but was found negative. He underwent PCR test on Feb. 21 and tested positive on Feb. 22. He has received his booster shot and is currently being treated while under self-isolation.
Jessi had mild fever and had a PCR test on Feb. 22 and was confirmed to have COVID-19. Jessi is fully vaccinated.
Besides the three, some in the production team of “Sixth Sense” tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the premiere of “Sixth Sense” season 3, which was originally set on March 11, has been postponed to March 18.
Jeon So-min, another regular cast member of “Sixth Sense,” decided not to join season 3 due to a foot injury she suffered.
Other Korean celebrities who tested positive for COVID-19 are comedians Kim Min-kyung and Jang Dong-min. TV personality Song Eun-yi tested positive through a self-test kit and is awaiting the result of her PCR test for confirmation.
Pentagon’s Jinho and Oh My Girl’s Hyojung were earlier confirmed to have COVID-19 while Tomorrow X Together (TXT) member Yeonjun made a full recovery from the disease. At least 145 Korean stars have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since Jan. 19.
South Korea recorded a one-day record of 171,452 new COVID-19 cases on Feb. 23, the highest since the pandemic started in 2020.