Singer Kim Jong-kook has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to his agency Turbo-JK Entertainment Thursday.

“Kim felt mild symptoms of a cold on Wednesday and he voluntarily took a self-testing kit which was positive, and then took a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test which also came out positive,” the agency said. “Kim has received two doses of a Covid vaccine and he is seeing no serious symptoms regarding his health.”

The agency said that Kim halted all of his schedules and is in quarantine according to the preventive measures provided by the government.

Kim is currently appearing on SBS’s variety shows “Running Man” and “My Little Old Boy” and the ninth season of Mnet’s “I Can See Your Voice.”

According to SBS, Kim’s infection will not lead to his absence on the shows as he had no prior schedules for the week regarding the two shows.

“The quarantine period was reduced to seven days and we had no plans to record episodes during the following week so we do not believe it will affect the show’s airing,” the broadcaster said.

Kim debuted as a member of a popular K-pop duo Turbo in 1995 and is currently active in a variety of entertainment fields not only in music, but as an entertainer on variety shows and runs his own YouTube channel “Gym Jong Kook,” which is dedicated to physical fitness and health. The channel currently has over 2.4 million subscribers.


BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]