COVID-19 April Fools' Joke by Kim Jaejoong... "Please Punish Me" National Petition Emerges

Singer Kim Jaejoong / Photo by Kim Jaejoong Instagram capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] Kim Jaejoong, formerly of the group JYJ, caused controversy after it was confirmed that he made an 'April Fool's joke' claiming he was infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and receiving hospital treatment. In response, a public petition has emerged demanding punishment for Kim Jaejoong's excessive prank.

On the 1st, a petition titled "Please punish celebrity Kim ** for an excessive April Fool's prank" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. The petitioner wrote, "A little while ago, celebrity Kim Jaejoong himself posted that he was infected with COVID-19," adding, "After news articles came out and it became a hot topic, he edited the post to say it was a joke. Is it acceptable for a public figure to joke about an infectious disease?"

The petition received over 3,600 endorsements within about an hour of being posted.

On the 1st, a petition requesting the punishment of Kim Jaejoong was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. / Photo by National Petition Board capture

On the same day, Kim Jaejoong posted on his Instagram, "I am infected with COVID-19" and "I am hospitalized at a certain hospital." Regarding this, Kim Jaejoong's agency C-JeS Entertainment stated, "Kim Jaejoong is currently active in Japan" and "We are assessing the situation."

However, Kim Jaejoong suddenly edited the post, explaining, "It was an April Fool's joke, which was quite excessive, but many people worried about me in a short time," and "I wanted to convey that protecting myself means protecting those precious to me."

In response, some netizens criticized Kim Jaejoong, saying, "Isn't this an excessively reckless prank?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.