[SEOUL] K-pop megastars BTS cancelled Friday four Seoul concerts due in April as South Korea's novel coronavirus cases jumped by nearly 600 - a larger rise than the daily increase reported in China, where the disease first emerged.

The seven-piece boyband - currently one of the biggest acts in the world - had scheduled four gigs at the capital's Olympic Stadium to promote their new album "Map of the Soul: 7".

More than 200,000 fans were expected to attend, their agency Big Hit Entertainment said in a statement, with "a number of global production companies and a large group of expert international crew" also involved.