Music festival in Seoul draws 100,000 despite MERS

The Korea PHOTO from Herald/Asia News Network

Despite the ongoing Middle East respiratory syndrome scare in South Korea, an annual international EDM festival drew as many as 100,000 music lovers in Seoul over the weekend.

Ultra Korea, the Korean arm of the global Ultra Music Festival, soldiered on with its schedule on June 12 and 13, opting to reinforce preventive measures against the outbreak rather than calling off the event.

Bottles of disinfectant gel were placed in and out the stadium while everyone entering was scanned with body temperature detectors.

Some concertgoers wore masks, only to throw them off when the music grew wild.

Over 100,000 partygoers, many of them foreigners, filled Seoul’s Jamsil Sports Complex for the two-day extravaganza of electronic dance music. The colorful party was overseen by 76 DJs making their names across the world, including Skrillex, Hardwell, Porter Robinson, Knife Party, Lil Jon, Snoop Dogg, Galantis, David Guetta and more. Nicky Romero and Alesso were the only two who canceled due to “health concerns.”

CL, a South Korean girl group leader preparing for its North America debut, also took to the stage Saturday night.

Ultra Music Festival will continue in Croatia in July and in Japan and Bali in September.

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