S.Korea boy band BTS postpones US, Canada tour over COVID-19

SEOUL - South Korea's boy band BTS will postpone a North America tour that had been scheduled to kick off in April, due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, its management said on Friday.

The seven-member K-pop hit group was due to begin its United States and Canada tour on April 25 in Santa Clara, with stops in Los Angeles, Dallas, Orlando, Atlanta, New Jersey, Washington and Toronto, before wrapping up in Chicago in June.

Big Hit Entertainment said new dates had not been set but all reserved tickets remained valid.

"We are closely monitoring and following the guidance of all local governments regarding public events to ensure we are providing a safe environment for everyone involved as we continue to update our tour plans," Big Hit said in a statement on the fan community app, Weverse.

The delay came as the United States overtook China and Italy as the country with the most infections, with thousands of new cases each day.

Last week, BTS indefinitely delayed sales of tickets for its Europe tour, set to start in July, and take in the cities of Barcelona, Berlin, London and Rotterdam.

Last month, it also cancelled a concert in Seoul set for April as South Korea grapples with the pandemic. -Reuters