“I have been infected by covid-19. This was due to my inattention, because I ignored the government's advice and everyone around me ”.
That's how K-pop star Kim Jae-joong wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday. Over 13,000 people wrote on a call that the star should be punished for the joke, writes The Korea Herald.
Kim Jae-joong later apologized: "I apologize to the government, health care professionals and those who follow government guidelines to get through the coronavirus situation because I made them upset," he writes on Instagram.
During a press conference, the government's health officer responded that no punishment was appropriate, as there is no way to prosecute him.
"If someone lies to epidemiologists or health care professionals during an epidemiological investigation or medical care, they can be punished under the Prevention of Infectious Diseases Act," said Health Minister Yoon Tae-ho, but added that this does not apply in Kim's case.
Kim Jae-joong's post was deleted after sharp criticism from his 1.9 million followers on Instagram.
In an earlier version of this article, Culture News wrote that Kim Jae-joong risks imprisonment, citing an article in the South China morning post. This is not true.