5 K-dramas and films delayed by Korea’s fourth Covid-19 wave, from Netflix’s Money Heist to Bogotá: City of the Lost starring Song Joong-ki

Jul 11 , 2021

Some of Korea’s biggest celebrities, including Kim Hee-seon, Song Joong-ki and Cha Ji-yeon, have been hit hard by Covid-19. Photos: @lovely.katie.k; @jiyeon2__/Instagram, @joongkisource/Twitter

TVN reality show Udo Inn was cancelled, KBS halted filming for Be My Dream Family, and the cast and crew of Netflix’s The Bride of Black all had to get tested

The theatre scene got disrupted too: musical Red Book was suspended as Korea saw its highest coronavirus case tally on July 8 and upped social distancing

TV and film productions in Korea are being halted as the country enters what appears to be a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections. Companies including KBS and Netflix confirmed disruptions to their shooting schedules.

On Tuesday, July 6, a press conference for TVN’s reality show Udo Inn was cancelled abruptly because actress Kim Hee-sun had to undergo Covid-19 testing after Cha Ji-yeon, who has been starring in the musical Red Book and preparing for the upcoming musical Gwanghwamun Sonata and Netflix’s series The Bride of Black, tested positive for the virus on Sunday, July 4.

Actress Hee Kim-sun. Photo: @lovely.katie.k/Instagram

Kim, as well as the rest of the cast and crew for The Bride of Black, have been tested and were all confirmed negative.

A poster for the musical Red Book. Photo: musihsoo/Tumblr

Cha’s infection has also dented the live theatre sector. The musical Red Book has been suspended until July 17, while a press conference for Gwanghwamun Sonata, which was originally scheduled for Monday, July 5, was called off.

Since the beginning of July, the number of new confirmed cases in Korea has shot up, prompting the government to review elevating the social distancing rules to the highest level. Some 1,275 cases were reported on Thursday, July 8, the highest tally Korea has seen throughout the pandemic, which began early last year.

People wearing face masks walk across the street near Yongsan Station in Seoul, South Korea, on July 8, 2021 – when the country reported its highest-ever daily Covid-19 cases. Photo: Xinhua

Earlier on July 2, the production team for the crime drama film Bogotá: City of the Lost, starring Song Joong-ki, announced it halted filming after one of the actors had been in contact with a person known to have been infected.

Song Joong-ki. Photo: @joongkisource/Twitter

“Shooting of the film will not resume until the whole cast and crew end their self-quarantine. We will adjust production schedules after paying close attention to the situation and making full preparations for safety,” the film’s distributor Megabox Plus M said.