BTS world tour gets cancelled due to COVID-19

South Korean K-pop boy band BTS members; Picture courtesy/AFP

K-pop superstars BTS have cancelled their planned 'Map of the Soul' world tour, due to complications brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Variety, in a statement released on Weverse fan platform, the band's backer, Big Hit Music said, "Our company has worked hard to resume preparations for the BTS Map of the Soul Tour, knowing that all fans have been waiting eagerly and long for the tour."

He added, "Due to changing circumstances beyond our control, it has become difficult to resume performances at the same scale and timeline as previously planned."

The tour had previously been due to start in April 2020, shortly after the band put out its fourth album 'Map of the Soul: 7'. After a start in Seoul, South Korea, it was scheduled to have 39 legs and land in 18 countries including the U.S. and Germany before finishing in Japan.

A temporary postponement in the same month has now turned into a 16-month hiatus. In that time, BTS has performed at online concerts for paying fans and released a movie. Big Hit Music suggested that performances at live gigs might resume, but it offered no timeline.

"We are working to prepare a viable schedule and performance format that can meet your expectations, and we will provide updated notices as soon as possible," the label said.

As per Variety, South Korea's daily new COVID cases remained in the 2,000s for the second straight day on Friday, amid little signs of a letup, triggering the extension of the toughest level of virus restrictions for two more weeks.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Friday announced 2,052 new COVID-19 cases, including 2,001 local infections. Since the beginning of the outbreak, the country has endured a total of 233,000 infections.

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