Concerns over the worldwide coronavirus pandemic have led BTS to cancel their upcoming concerts in South Korea.
The megahit K-pop group took to Twitter on Thursday to announce that their upcoming Map of the Soul Tour stops in Seoul in April will be nixed, and that anyone who bought tickets will receive refunds.
"It is unavoidable that the concert must be canceled without further delay," the groups official twitter account shared, in Korean, on Thursday.
"Please understand that this decision was made after extensive and careful consideration," the message added.
The group's decision comes after reported cases of novel coronavirus infections in South Korea skyrocketed in recent days as the pandemic -- which is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China -- has spread across the globe with infections and death tolls rising in numerous countries in Asia, Europe, and North and South America.
On Thursday, 256 new cases of coronavirus were reported in South Korea, bringing the total number of reported cases to over 2,000.
In the United States, there have been 60 reported cases of the virus, with no reported deaths.
BTS was expected to kick off their world tour with the now-canceled shows at Seoul’s Jamsil Olympic Stadium on April 11, 12, 18 and 19. However, it appears that the tour will now kick off on April 25 with a concert in Santa Clara, California.
