On March 26, media outlets reported that Mnet's 'M! Countdown' has decided not to air live performances for next week's broadcast in light of the Ministry of Interior and Safety (MOIS)'s recent Coronavirus prevention measure order.
Back on March 21, the Ministry of Interior and Safety issued an order for the general public to practice extreme social distancing for the remainder of March until April 6, when all schools officially return to session. The Ministry stressed the importance of maintaining a social distance of 2 meters from individuals in public, in order to prevent the spread of COVID19 as much as possible in light of students returning to schools.
Taking this order into consideration, Mnet has decided to call off 'M! Countdown's live broadcast for the week of April 2. One insider stated, "This week's broadcast was already scheduled to take place before the MOIS's order, so it will proceed as planned. After next week, nothing is decided for the week of April 9 or the following weeks. The decision will be made after taking into consideration any updates regarding the Coronavirus threat."
Next week's 'M! Countdown' will air as a special highlight episode.
its kinda nuts it was business as usual for idols and music shows during the PEAK of the virus to begin with (besides getting rid of the fans)