It was a long weekend of partying at nightclubs in Seoul, but it’s left a hangover for South Korea that could last for some time.
After weeks with nearly no new domestic coronavirus cases, South Korea has seen a new spike in infections.
A coronavirus outbreak at bars and clubs in the capital’s Itaewon district has triggered fears of a second wave of the disease.
The outbreak has also mired a former K-pop star in controversy and caused fears in Korea’s gay community that getting tested for COVID-19 could lead to being outed in a country where homosexuality is, for many people, still taboo.
Park Gyu-ri, from the now-defunct girl group Kara, was caught dancing at one of the clubs on May 2, four days before social distancing restrictions were lifted in Korea.
She said she deeply regretted her decision and apologised.
“I give my deepest apologies for not abiding by a rule that everyone should have during the social distancing period, regardless of any reasons,” she said.
She later self-isolated and her COVID-19 test came back negative.
But not everyone who was at the clubs in Itaewon feels safe enough to come forward for testing or contact tracing efforts.
South Korea’s virus response has been public and intense
At least 148 cases have been linked to outbreaks in bars and clubs in Seoul’s Itaewon neighbourhood.
When local media reported that several of them cater to members of the lesbian, gay,