Slower dance music only for South Korea gyms

. Photograph: Heo Ran/Reuters

Gyms and fitness clubs in and around South Korea's capital Seoul now have a limit on what kind of music they can play. The government has set a maximum speed on the tunes allowed. This is to limit the spread of Covid-19. There are the beginnings of a new coronavirus wave in South Korea. 

The new measures are to stop people breathing too quickly or splashing sweat on each other. Health officials have told gyms not to play music with a tempo higher than 120 beats per minute (bpm). The songs Bad Romance by Lady Gaga and Le Freak by the group Chic fall just under the limit at 119 bpm. K-pop fans will be relieved to know they can work out to BTS. The BTS hit Dynamite is around 115 bpm.

South Korea's Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum warned the nation that the country had reached "maximum crisis level". President Moon Jae-in said he felt sorry for business owners affected by the rules. He said: "I can't help but feel very sorry to once again ask the citizens for a little more patience." Many gym owners are unhappy with the new rules. 

One said: "My biggest question is whether playing classical music or songs by BTS has been proved to have any impact on spreading the virus." He asked: "Many people use their own earphones...these days, so how do you control their playlists?" Another new rule is that treadmills will be limited to a maximum speed of 6kph.

Source: Breaking News English

Comprehension

Where in South Korea are gyms not allowed to play fast music?
What are the measures designed to stop people doing too quickly?
What is the fastest speed at which gyms can play songs?
How does the article say fans of the group BTS will feel?
How fast is the BTS hit song "Dynamite"?
Who did South Korea's president feel sorry for?
Who is unhappy with the new rules?
What did a gym owner suggest might not spread the virus?
What do many people use in gyms these days?
What is there a new limit of 6kph for?

Discussion

What do you think of when you hear the word 'music'?
What do you think about what you read?
Do you think slower songs will slow the spread of Covid-19?
How sorry do you feel for business owners?
What do you think of the new rules in the gyms?
Do you like uptempo or slow tempo songs
What can you do to limit the spread of coronavirus?
How much do you like dancing?
What do you think of gyms and fitness clubs?

Vocabulary

measures - to do something, they carry out particular actions in order to achieve a particular result.
splashing - cause (liquid) to strike or fall on something in irregular drops.
impact - the action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another.
playlists - list of songs, albums, and artists that a radio station broadcasts.