K-pop group performs in China after 8-year ban

A South Korean music group has performed in mainland China for the first time since the 2017 implementation of the “Korean Wave restriction order,” known as hanhanryeong, which had severely limited Korean cultural content in the country.

According to Chinese social media platforms and diplomatic sources, on April 17, South Korean hip-hop trio Homies kicked off their spring tour “Brothers” in Wuhan, Hubei Province, on April 12. Homies, formed in 2019, comprises three rappers born in 2000.

This marks the first performance by a South Korean artist in mainland China since China banned Korean cultural content over the THAAD missile defense dispute. Although there were reports in July last year that Korean rock band Say Sue Me would perform in Beijing, the concert was abruptly canceled just three weeks before the scheduled date, despite a welcoming statement by South Korea’s ambassador to China.

Signs of change began to emerge early last year. In January, the Black Skirts, a Korean-American singer-songwriter, held a concert in China’s Shanxi Province. In May, soprano Jo Sumi, whose 2017 China tour had been canceled, performed in Beijing. In the film industry, actors Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung reportedly met with representatives from Chinese entertainment companies in Beijing earlier this month.

The entertainment industry is expressing cautious optimism that China may be easing its ban on Korean content. Some speculate that the order could be lifted around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, set to take place in Gyeongju at the end of October, where Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend.

A concert industry official said, “There are signs that Korean performances are once again being permitted in China, so we’re thinking about how best to approach the Chinese market.”


사지원기자 4g1@donga.com