Korean singer Kim Jaejoong is caught in a tailspin after using coronavirus as a joke on April Fools' Day.
On Wednesday, April 1, Kim Jaejoong, former TVXQ and JYJ member who is currently promoting in Japan as a solo artist, posted unfortunate news on his Instagram account. According to his initial post, he was currently hospitalized and had been confirmed to be infected with coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, which has taken thousands of lives around the globe.
"I have coronavirus. It was careless of me to disregard all of the cautions provided by the government and those people around me," he wrote.
"I am currently hospitalized," he added.
Various Korean and international media outlets broke the shocking news, such as the "First Korean Idol Confirmed to have COVID-19," which immediately circulated throughout various social media platforms. Jaejoong's fans were instantly alarmed and felt worried about the idol, rooting for his fast recovery.
However, after an hour, the idol confessed that his COVID-19 "diagnosis" was an April Fool's prank. This immediately resulted in an uproar. Jaejoong, later on, explained that his joke's purpose was to promote "awareness." However, the worries of fans and netizens turned into hatred and criticism, as they think it was "too much," not to mention that people around the world are terrorized with the unseen enemy, also noting that a number of people are dying every hour due to the global crisis.
In addition to the singer's statement, his official Japan website also posted, "It is not true that Kim Jaejoong was infected by the coronavirus."
On the same day, a petition to the Blue House was already created by the public, titled, "Please Punish the Celebrity Kim for his Excessive April Fool's Prank." As of 6 P.M. KST on Wednesday, the petition already gained more than 5,000 signs.
The petitioner exclaimed, "Does it make sense for a public figure to play with coronavirus? The news also said that excessive pranks are punishable. Punish Kim** and let no one do the trick again."
Another one said, "It's the worst lie ever."
Jaejoong is a Hallyu star, which holds massive influence in Korea, Japan, and other Asian countries, and his recent remark rattled the worldwide online community.
Prior to his prank, the police already warned netizens that they could suffer the aftermath if they are caught spreading fake news, which will cause fear or anxiety to other people during the celebration of April Fool's Day. However, as Jaejoong did not repeatedly spread his lie, he is unlikely to be punished.
Upon this possibility, netizens' criticisms intensified.
Kim Jaejoong gained his popularity upon debuting under the "Emperor of K-pop" TVXQ in 2003. He later on withdrew from the group and started promoting under the trio JYJ, a unit created by his former group in 2009.
