Gov’t may hold first large-scale K-pop concert in mainland China in almost 10 years

Stars from Korea’s four largest K-pop agencies may perform at a government-hosted concert in China in January, a step that suggests Beijing is easing its unofficial restrictions on Korean cultural content, according to a report by Segye Ilbo.

This would mark the first large-scale concert — featuring artists from prominent agencies — in mainland China in almost a decade, excluding Hong Kong.

The presidential office recently asked HYBE, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment to organize a K-pop concert in China, the newspaper reported on December 15, citing sources from the Democratic Party and the entertainment industry.

The concert is “not finalized,” according to an industry insider, but “plans are underway.”

China imposed the restrictions in August 2016, a move that Korean officials linked to Beijing’s opposition to Seoul’s deployment of the U.S.-led Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or Thaad, system. The de facto ban halted performances and activities by K-pop acts of Korean origin in the country.

Several K-pop concerts scheduled to take place in China this year were later canceled, including a highly anticipated annual charity concert in Hainan in September. Boy band EPEX and girl group Kep1er also canceled their concerts due to what their agencies described as “local circumstances.”

More recently, multinational girl group Le Sserafim canceled a fan meeting in Shanghai this month, citing “force majeure.” However, local reports said authorities objected to the event because the group includes a Japanese member, amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Tokyo following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Japan’s response to a possible Taiwan contingency.

The news comes as local reports emerge of President Lee Jae Myung potentially visiting China early next year. He and Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a “mutually beneficial cooperative relationship” at a bilateral summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in November, where they also discussed the cultural ban, according to Korea’s security adviser.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]