K-pop star Jaejoong has issued an apology to fans after following a controversial April Fool's Day prank, in which he claimed he had tested positive for Covid-19.
Earlier today, 34-year-old Jaejoong (whose real name is Kim Jae-joong) shared an Instagram post that said he had tested positive for coronavirus, saying he had ignored 'cautionary words' shared by the government and those around him.
His agency, CJeS Entertainment, then released a statement explaining it was trying to confirm the news, saying that Jaejoong is currently in Japan.
Advert
However, it wasn't long before Jaejoong edited the caption on his social media post, revealing that the news was, in fact, an 'April Fool's joke'.
An excerpt from the new caption of the post - which has since been deleted - as translated by K-pop news site Soompi, read: "Although this did go quite far for April Fool's Day, so many people worried about me in a short span of time.
"Oh... and I don't think of this as an April Fool's joke. My family and my friends are getting sick... and dying... It's never just someone else's problem. I wanted to tell you that protecting myself is protecting the precious people around us."
Advert
Since then, the singer has released a full apology on Instagram, telling fans that he hoped the prank would help raise awareness of the virus, and spread the right message to those who aren't following orders.
The statement said, according to Soompi: "I am also personally aware that it was something that shouldn't be done.
"First, over the social media post I wrote, I want to express my sincere apologies to the people who have suffered because of COVID-19 and to the people who were disrupted in their administrative work.
"Bad judgment. I knew that's what this was.
Advert
"Awareness of response methods and the dangerousness of the current virus outbreak.I wanted to convey that message because I hoped that people would be more aware and therefore we could minimize the number of people who suffer because of COVID-19.
"It's so scary to think that things like people spending time outside in the warm weather as spring arrives, or coming in contact with others in an enclosed space while making use of leisurely time as the start of the semester is postponed, could cause a secondary or tertiary resurgence in COVID-19 cases."
He continued: "Contrary to the people who actually are working hard to get us out of COVID-19, there are many people who enjoy their leisure time while dressing just as usual and not wearing a mask. When I heard that, I thought there needed to be more awareness."
Advert
Signing off, Jaejoong concluded, saying: "For causing distress, I sincerely apologize to the government agencies and medical professionals who are working hard because of COVID-19 and to the many people who are following instructions to give up on their lifestyles and are doing all they can to overcome this.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Entertainment, Celebrity, Coronavirus