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Japan Times
29-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
China's first K-pop concert in years signals efforts to mend ties
Nearly a decade after China imposed an unofficial ban on K-pop performances in the mainland, Beijing appears to be lowering one of the non-trade barriers that kept South Korea's cultural phenomenon out of the country. South Korean boy band Epex is now gearing for a concert in China next month, their agent C9 Entertainment said Tuesday, raising expectations that Beijing may ease restrictions on K-pop culture in the mainland. The concert, scheduled for May 31 in Fuzhou, Fujian province, marks the first performance in nine years in mainland China by a K-pop group comprised entirely of Korean nationals, says Lee Jae-young, chief executive of C9 Entertainment. K-pop stars with foreign nationalities have occasionally appeared on Chinese television shows, according to Yonhap News, which first reported the news. Lee says the Fuzhou concert venue has a capacity of about 1,000. The news fueled a rally in South Korean entertainment stocks, with K-pop stocks helping charge the small-cap Kosdaq Index higher on Tuesday. The timing may be coincidental, but it adds to growing evidence that China is seeking to improve relations with regional partners as countries grapple with increasingly hostile and unpredictable trade policies under U.S. President Donald Trump. Last month, the trade chiefs of South Korea, China and Japan met in Seoul, where they renewed calls for an open, fair flow of goods and pledged to deepen economic ties. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism didn't immediately respond to a faxed request for comment. China imposed the so-called "K-wave ban' in 2016 in retaliation for Seoul allowing the U.S. military to deploy missile defense system called Thaad, or Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense. Before the restrictions, China was among the fast growing markets for K-pop. Beijing reacted by blocking Chinese tour groups from visiting South Korea, while sales of Korean products such as cars and cosmetics also dropped. Lotte Group pulled back by selling its supermarket business and exiting a theme park project under development. Companies such as Samsung Electronics have shifted production from China to Vietnam and other countries. The latest move raised doubts among curious Chinese fans, and some took to social media asking, "Has the Korea ban been lifted?' Epex's plans come as some Korean movie and pop stars have cautiously resumed their activities on mainland China. Some attended a Ralph Lauren fashion show in Shanghai, holding fan meet-ups in major cities that have been shunned since China's ban. Korean producers have also begun talks over content exports, while there have been no official approvals on Korean dramas yet by the Chinese government. Ji In-hae, an analyst at Shinhan Securities, said in a recent note that if China allows K-pop singers to perform at large concert halls and permit local broadcasters to air new Korean dramas simultaneously, it would be a "real, substantial' signal of relaxed restrictions. Bucking the global stock rout, entertainment stocks have been among the biggest gainers in the Korean equity market this year, driven by expectations they will be shielded from tariff wars. SM Entertainment shares have rallied more than 60% so far this year while YG Entertainment Inc. jumped more than 40%.
Business Times
29-04-2025
- Business
- Business Times
China's first K-pop concert in years signal efforts to mend ties
[SEOUL] Nearly a decade after China imposed an unofficial ban on K-pop performances in the mainland, Beijing appears to be lowering one of the non-trade barriers that kept South Korea's cultural phenomenon out of the country. South Korean boy band Epex is now gearing for a concert in China next month, their agent C9 Entertainment said on Tuesday (Apr 29), raising expectations that Beijing may ease restrictions on K-pop culture in the mainland. The concert, scheduled for May 31 in Fuzhou, marks the first performance in nine years in mainland China by a K-pop group comprised entirely of Korean nationals, Lee Jae-young, chief executive of C9 Entertainment told Bloomberg News. K-pop stars with foreign nationalities have occasionally appeared on Chinese television shows, according to Yonhap News, which first reported the news. Lee said that the Fuzhou concert venue has a capacity of about 1,000. The news fuelled a rally in South Korean entertainment stocks, with K-pop stocks helping charge the small-cap Kosdaq Index higher. The timing may be coincidental, but it adds to growing evidence that China is seeking to improve relations with regional partners as countries grapple with increasingly hostile and unpredictable trade policies under US President Donald Trump. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Last month, trade chiefs of South Korea, China and Japan met in Seoul, where they renewed calls for an open, fair flow of goods and pledged to deepen economic ties. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment. China imposed the so-called 'K-wave ban' in 2016 in retaliation for Seoul allowing the US military to deploy missile defence system called Thaad, or Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense. Before the restrictions, China was among the fast-growing markets for K-pop. Beijing reacted by blocking Chinese tour groups from visiting South Korea, while sales of Korean products such as cars and cosmetics also dropped. Lotte Group pulled back by selling its supermarket business and exiting a theme park project under development. Companies such as Samsung Electronics have shifted production from China to Vietnam and other countries. The latest move raised doubts among curious Chinese fans, and some took to the social media asking: 'Has the Korea ban been lifted?' Epex's plans come as some Korean movie and K-pop stars have cautiously resumed their activities in mainland China. Some attended a Ralph Lauren fashion show in Shanghai, holding fan meet-ups in major cities that have been shunned since China's ban. Korean producers have also begun talks over content exports, while there have been no official approvals on the Korean dramas yet by the Chinese government. Ji In-hae, an analyst at Shinhan Securities, said in a recent note that if China allows K-pop singers to perform at large concert halls and permit local broadcasters to air new Korean dramas simultaneously, it would be a 'real, substantial' signal of relaxed restrictions. BLOOMBERG
Business Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Times
China to host first all-Korean pop concert in years: report
[SEOUL] Nearly a decade after China imposed an unofficial ban on K-pop performances in the mainland, Beijing appears to be lowering one of the non-trade barriers that kept South Korea's cultural phenomenon out of the country. A South Korean boy band Epex is now gearing up for a concert in China next month, raising expectations that Beijing may ease restrictions on K-pop culture in the mainland, Yonhap News reported on Tuesday (Apr 29). Those bets helped propel a rally in South Korean entertainment stocks on Tuesday, with K-pop stocks helping charge the small-cap Kosdaq Index higher. JYP Entertainment jumped nearly 4 per cent and SM Entertainment advanced about 2 per cent as at 11.10 am, local time. The timing may be coincidental, but it adds to growing evidence that China is seeking to improve relations with regional partners as countries grapple with increasingly hostile and unpredictable trade policies under US President Donald Trump. Last month, trade chiefs of South Korea, China and Japan met in Seoul, where they renewed calls for an open, fair flow of goods and pledged to deepen economic ties. The concert, scheduled for May 31 in Fuzhou in China's south-eastern Fujian province, marks the first performance in nine years in mainland China by a K-pop group comprised entirely of South Korean nationals, Yonhap said. K-pop stars with foreign nationalities have occasionally appeared on Chinese television shows, it added. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up The band's management, C9 Entertainment, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment. China imposed the so-called 'K-wave ban' in 2016 in retaliation for Seoul allowing the US military to deploy of missile defence system called Thaad, or Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense. Before the restrictions, China was among the fast-growing market for K-pop. But the reported move raised doubts among curious Chinese fans, and some took to the social media asking: 'Has the South Korean ban been lifted?' Epex's plans come as some South Korean movie and K-pop stars have cautiously resumed their activities in mainland China. Some attended a Ralph Lauren fashion show in Shanghai, holding fan meet-ups in major cities that have been shunned since China's ban. South Korean producers have also begun talks over content exports, while there have been no official approvals on the Korean dramas yet by the Chinese government. Bucking the global stock rout, entertainment stocks have been among the biggest gainers in the Korean equity market this year, driven by expectations they will be shielded from tariff wars. SM Entertainment shares have rallied more than 60 per cent so far this year while YG Entertainment jumped more than 40 per cent. BLOOMBERG
Business Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Times
China to host first all-Korean pop concert in years: Yonhap
[SEOUL] Nearly a decade after China imposed an unofficial ban on K-pop performances in the mainland, Beijing appears to be lowering one of the non-trade barriers that kept South Korea's cultural phenomenon out of the country. A South Korean boy band Epex is now gearing up for a concert in China next month, raising expectations that Beijing may ease restrictions on K-pop culture in the mainland, Yonhap News reported on Tuesday (Apr 29). Those bets helped propel a rally in South Korean entertainment stocks on Tuesday, with K-pop stocks helping charge the small-cap Kosdaq Index higher. JYP Entertainment Corp. jumped nearly 4 per cent and SM Entertainment advanced about 2 per cent as at 11.10 am, local time. The timing may be coincidental, but it adds to growing evidence that China is seeking to improve relations with regional partners as countries grapple with increasingly hostile and unpredictable trade policies under US President Donald Trump. Last month, trade chiefs of South Korea, China and Japan met in Seoul, where they renewed calls for an open, fair flow of goods and pledged to deepen economic ties. The concert, scheduled for May 31 in Fuzhou, marks the first performance in nine years in mainland China by a K-pop group comprised entirely of Korean nationals, Yonhap said. K-pop stars with foreign nationalities have occasionally appeared on Chinese television shows, it added. The band's management, C9 Entertainment, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism didn't immediately respond to a faxed request for comment. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up China imposed the so-called 'K-wave ban' in 2016 in retaliation for Seoul allowing the US military to deploy of missile defence system called Thaad, or Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense. Before the restrictions, China was among the fast-growing market for K-pop. But the reported move raised doubts among curious Chinese fans, and some took to the social media asking: 'Has the Korean ban been lifted?' Epex's plans come as some Korean movie and K-pop stars have cautiously resumed their activities in mainland China. Some attended a Ralph Lauren fashion show in Shanghai, holding fan meet-ups in major cities that have been shunned since China's ban. Korean producers have also begun talks over content exports, while there have been no official approvals on the Korean dramas yet by the Chinese government. Bucking the global stock rout, entertainment stocks have been among the biggest gainers in the Korean equity market this year, driven by expectations they will be shielded from tariff wars. SM Entertainment shares have rallied more than 60 per cent so far this year while YG Entertainment jumped more than 40 per cent. BLOOMBERG
