[Comprehensive] Park Gyuri, who visited Itaewon clubs, previously posted about mask donations and encouraged social distancing

Actor Park Gyuri (32), former member of the idol group Kara / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Seul-gi] Actress Park Gyuri (32), formerly of the idol group Kara, is facing public backlash after admitting to visiting an Itaewon club in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where a COVID-19 case was confirmed. Amid this, it was revealed that she had previously donated masks and posted messages encouraging social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, leading to criticism of her contradictory behavior.

On the 11th, through her agency Creative Kkot, Park Gyuri stated, "Regardless of any reasons, I deeply reflect on and apologize for not adhering to the rules that everyone must follow during the social distancing period." She added, "I wore a mask continuously from the time I entered until I left, and I got tested immediately after the news of the confirmed case broke. The test result was negative, and I am currently self-quarantining."

However, after her initial statement, a video surfaced on social media showing Park Gyuri dancing inside the club without wearing a mask. In response, she corrected her statement, saying, "I wore a mask continuously except for about 20 seconds after entering until I left."

Prior to visiting the Itaewon club, on the 28th of last month, Park Gyuri posted on her social network service (SNS), "It’s a night full of thoughts. I hope everyone endures this situation well and we can meet in good health soon," and "I exercise. I need to clear my mind," along with a photo certifying her home training. Currently, her SNS has been set to private.

Moreover, in March, Park Gyuri and her partner Song Jaho donated 10,000 masks to a medical center in Daegu to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and infection. At that time, the two said, "During this difficult time for everyone due to COVID-19, we wanted to contribute and overcome this together," and "We hope this will be of some help to vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children."

Having been at the forefront of overcoming COVID-19 and promoting social distancing, her visit to the club and reversal on mask-wearing have sparked strong criticism of her double standards.

Meanwhile, as the cluster infection originating from the Itaewon club spreads not only in Seoul and the metropolitan area but also nationwide including Jeju, Busan, and Chungbuk, the government has urged people to refrain from visiting clubs and entertainment venues and to voluntarily report for testing.

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