Daily US Times: Gyms in South Korea’s capital Seoul and its surrounding region have authorised by authorities not to play music with a tempo higher than 120 beats per minute (bpm), in order to limit the spread of coronavirus.
Treadmills will be limited to a maximum of 3.7 mph (6km/h).
Health officials say the restrictions will prevent people from splashing sweat on each other or breathing too fast.
A quick look at K-pop bpms suggests Blackpink fans might suffer a bit more than followers of BTS.
South Korea is battling a new coronavirus outbreak, with 1,100 new cases recorded on Sunday.
On Friday, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum warned that the country had reached “maximum crisis level”.
Those attending exercise classes such as Zumba, aerobics and spin in the greater Seoul area will face the 120bpm limit from Monday.
People are also only allowed to spend maximum 2 hours at a time at indoor sports facilities and must not use the shower.
All sports facilities must close by 22:00, according to the order.
The move has been questioned by owners of the gyms.
Kang Hyun-ku, who owns a gym in the South Korean Capital, asked whether there was any proof a choice between classical music and BTS had an impact on spreading the coronavirus.
He also told Reuters news agency that many people used their own earphones, asking: “How do you control their playlists?”
But Seoul officials say the measures help prevent gyms from closing completely.
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