LA-Based K-Pop Festival Postponed Over Coronavirus Concerns

A popular K-pop festival in Los Angeles has been postponed over growing fears of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) that has swept across Asia.

The Korea Times Music Festival, which was set to take over the Hollywood Bowl on April 25, now faces an uncertain future and indefinite postponement.

“It is with deepest regret that we announce the postponement of the 18th KTMF scheduled on April 25th, 2020, due to current travel restrictions in Asia,” the festival shared in a statement on its website. “Concert goers can opt for a refund or keep the existing tickets. Tickets will remain valid and transferable to the rescheduled concert date. We truly apologize for the inconvenience to those who have been looking forward to this event and ask for your kind understanding.”

The festival had previously lined up groups MOMOLAND, No Brain, and solo star Ha Sung-woon, with more performers expected to be announced in the coming weeks – despite uncertainty over the revised festival date.

At the time of this writing, there have been more than 81,000 coronavirus cases reported worldwide and some 2,700 fatalities. The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has now spread largely to South Korea where there is the second-highest number of confirmed cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention implemented that all nonessential travel to South Korea be halted over fears of the outbreak spreading.

The coronavirus has significantly affected the K-pop industry with several acts postponing shows or scrapping tour legs entirely. Seventeen called off their Ode To You Tour in response to the outbreak. In addition, (G)I-DLE, GOT7 and more have altered their tour dates. Girl group TWICE announced plans to go forward with their pair of shows in Seoul next month but take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. To accommodate fans who do not wish to be at risk by attending the show, organizers announced they may cancel their tickets without a standard cancellation fee.

Photo via Korea Times Music Festival – @koreatimesmusicfestival