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On Wednesday, K-pop star Kim Jaejoong posted to 1.9 million followers on Instagram that he had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
However, less than an hour later, Kim had edited the caption to clarify that he didn't actually have COVID-19, and the post had been an April Fools' prank intending to raise awareness of the importance of social distancing. The post has since been deleted entirely.
"So many people walk the streets and live their lives without their guards up, ignoring it… and thinking it won’t happen to them, and it makes me so worried that my family and friends might get sick," he wrote in the edited caption.
Kim went on to say that while the post wasn't meant to be a joke, it had gone "quite far".
And it's safe to say fans agreed, with many calling the prank "disrespectful" and "insensitive".
Others said they were "disappointed" in the idol.
However, some said it was good that he was spreading awareness about the importance of staying home and being vigilant during this pandemic.
"I wanted to tell you that protecting myself is protecting the precious people around us," Kim said in the edited caption, before deleting the post entirely. "I will accept all punishment I receive from this post. I hope all of you are healthy."
Below is the full translation of Kim's edited Instagram caption, according to Soompi:
What if the people we love, someone precious to us, contracted the virus?
It’s such a heart-wrenching thing to think about.
Despite this, so many people walk the streets and live their lives without their guards up, ignoring it… and thinking it won’t happen to them, and it makes me so worried that my family and friends might get sick. Believing that we and the people around us will be safe will end up making us and everything around us sick.
Currently, a growing number of my acquaintances and industry representatives are being tested positive. It is not something that is far away.
When negligence turns a sad premonition into reality, it’s not something that we can simply end by wiping our tears away.
Staying on alert right now.. That is what I say to myself again and again.
Although this did go quite far for April Fool’s Day, so many people worried about me in a short span of time.
Oh… and I don’t think of this as an April Fool’s joke. My family and my friends are getting sick.. and dying.. It’s never!! just someone else’s problem. I wanted to tell you that protecting myself is protecting the precious people around us.
I will accept all punishment I receive from this post. I hope all of you are healthy.