Hong Suk Chun Encourages People To Get Anonymously Tested After Coronavirus Outbreak At Club

May 12, 2020

Hong Suk Chun has weighed in on the recent outbreak of coronavirus cases that has been connected to a club in the neighborhood of Itaewon in Seoul.

On May 12, Hong Suk Chun posted the following statement on Instagram.

This is a time when we have to be brave. It is a basic fact that sexual minorities are afraid of revealing their identities to their family, to their acquaintances, and to society. That is why this requires courage. As someone who has been part of the Itaewon neighborhood for a long time, I am very concerned and saddened about this incident. More than anything, I am worried that too many people are not responding to contact [tracing] and not getting tested.

I know better than anyone else that the fear of being ‘outed’ is real, but right now, the most important things are the health and safety of yourself, your family, and the public. Thankfully, it seems like ‘anonymous testing’ is possible, so you must get tested right now.

This is a difficult time for all of us. We are all pooling our strength in order to get out of this situation together. In order to not hinder the efforts of the public health authorities, health care workers, and citizens, I earnestly advise you to be brave and get tested.

Much of the South Korean media coverage of this new outbreak has focused on the allegation that the clubs in Itaewon linked to the outbreak were frequented by the gay community, leading to fears of anti-gay backlash.