PSY Concerts Under Investigation for Spreading COVID-19

As if squirting water into a sea of thousands of people in the middle of a drought wasn’t enough of a logistical nightmare from the environmental side, now there’s a public health problem to go along with it.

PSY, the South Korean pop sensation best known for his mega-hit “Gangnam Style,” is currently on the road for his sold-out ‘Summer Swag’ tour. To deal with the grueling heat, the singer has become known for his “water concerts,” in which they install special water cannons throughout the venue to blast mysterious fluids into the crowd. According to an interview PSY did with Radio Star, a Korean talk show, he said they use a whopping
“300 tons of drinking water per performance.” There are ten performances on this tour. You do the math.

Now, PSY’s shows are being investigated for spreading COVID-19 in the midst of a case surge in Korea. According to news outlet Korea JoonAng Daily, The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters began receiving reports from fans who believe they contracted the virus from all the watery fun. Park Young Joon, head of the epidemiological investigation team at the headquarters, announced they will be assessing the risk factors. P Nation, PSY’s label, announced they will be providing concertgoers with KF94 masks and a waterproof mask.

According to social media posts from concerned fans, some admitted to taking their masks off despite PSY urging them to leave it over their noses. Nonetheless, other fans wore two masks and still got infected. Korean authorities have advised people not to attend water festivals due to the increase in infection risk.

Below, revisit PSY’s viral hit “Gangnam Style,” which turned 10 this month.