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| ▲ A file photo of singer-TV personality Haha, provided by SBS (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Seventeen's Wonwoo (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) Running Man cast-coronavirus
(LEAD) Haha of 'Running Man,' Seventeen's Wonwoo test positive for coronavirus
(ATTN: UPDATES with more infections among celebrities in headline and paras 6-14; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- Haha, a cast member of the popular TV variety show "Running Man," was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 on Saturday, his talent agency said, as the virus continued to spread fast across the country, fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant.
The singer-TV personality took a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) examination Friday after having tested positive in a rapid antigen test, according to Quan Entertainment.
Of the show's seven cast members, three others -- Kim Jong-kook, Yang Se-chan and Jee Seok-jin -- also have been infected.
According to the show's production crew, all members of the crew have tested negative, and the infections are unlikely to disrupt the filming and broadcasting of the program as it was already canceled due to the Beijing Winter Olympics broadcast.
Haha also regularly appears on TV variety shows, such as MBC's "Hangout with Yoo" and TV Chosun's "Tomorrow's National Singer."
Comedian Kim Joon-ho and actor Heo Seong-tae have also been infected, according to their agencies.
Both are fully vaccinated and have shown no serious symptoms, the companies said.
The music industry also continued to be affected by the coronavirus Saturday.
Seventeen's Wonwoo received a PCR test result earlier in the day after having tested positive in a self-test, Pledis Entertainment said.
He is now treating himself at home, with no serious symptoms except for a sore throat and mild fever, it added.
Another member Hoshi, who came in contact with Wonwoo on Wednesday, received negative results both in a self-test and a rapid antigen test Friday. But he also took a PCR test and is now waiting for the result, according to the agency.
The other 11 members of the 13-piece group all tested negative in a preemptive self-test Friday and have shown no symptoms.
"Since Seventeen was on a vacation recently, other members excluding Hoshi were staying at home without any contact with Wonwoo," the agency said.
Among other singers who were newly infected were T1419's Gunwoo and BLANK2Y's Lee Young-bin, Kim Tae-woo, Park Dong-hyuk and Park Si-woo, according to their agencies.
On Saturday, South Korea recorded a daily high of 54,941 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total to 1,294,205, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
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