Idol-turned-musical-actress Kahi was severely criticized by the netizens for breaking the home quarantine regulation amid the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic.
The former After School member was caught in a controversy on March 23 after posting photos on her Instagram account, hanging out with her family outside their home amid the pandemic. They reportedly went to the mountain, visited the zoo and the beach, despite the quarantine restrictions and rules.
Shortly after, Kahi wrote a lengthy apology letter and explained that her family needed "natural healing" after being stuck inside their home.
Days later, Kahi announced her return to Korea with her family, which caused her to receive another wave criticisms as it contradicted her statement that Bali's nature could heal her family.
Meanwhile, on April 15, Kahi's agency, HQ Entertainment, announced their delayed official statement about the issue and confirmed that Kahi went back to Korea on March 31.
"Kahi returned home on March 31 through an overseas flight. They booked a flight to South Korea on March 23, but returned to South Korea via a flight on March 31 due to local circumstances," the agency said.
Regarding the delayed response, the agency said, "We were trying to figure out exactly what was going on with Ga-hee's situation. I apologize for the delay in announcing my position," he said.
The latter statement was also proven by Kahi on April 14. She posted a status saying that her 14-day self-quarantine ended, and apologized to her fans and the netizens once again.
She wrote after two weeks of self-isolation, "I'm sorry to everyone whom I made uncomfortable because of me. And thank you very much for all the people who have consoled me."
However, another controversy has sparked. Recently, her agency posted a photo of her son on April 6 while in mountainous surroundings, which netizens believed to be taken in Korea. As the netizens question Kahi's whereabouts, the agency replied that the family is in Bali "at the moment."
In this case, one is probably lying. If Kahi's posts were real, then she's responsible for breaking the home-quarantine and self-isolation rules.
On the other hand, a netizen already reported Kahi to the police due to the allegations. According to the Infectious Disease Prevention Law in Korea, a citizen who was caught not following the rule can be imprisoned with up to a year and/or has to pay a fine of 10 million KRW or approximately $8,000.
