3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Industry eyes shift in Beijing's hallyu ban as K-pop activity surges in other Chinese-speaking regions
Hybe launches China branch amid rising hopes of hallyu ban easing in mainland China
Hybe, the world's largest K-pop powerhouse and home to BTS, has officially launched a Chinese branch in Beijing, prompting speculation about a possible thaw in China's yearslong restrictions on Korean pop culture under what is commonly called the hallyu ban.
Hybe China was incorporated on April 2, the company confirmed Wednesday, marking its fourth overseas branch after those in Japan, the US and Latin America.
With the new office's role limited to supporting Hybe artists and future activities in mainland China, the company said it currently has no plans for an audition program or a new idol group in China. Hybe's other overseas branches, by contrast, have developed original groups for the respective local markets.
SM, YG and JYP Entertainment — the other three major K-pop agencies often grouped with Hybe as the 'Big Four' — already operate Chinese subsidiaries. In 2019, SM debuted WayV — a Chinese unit of its boy group NCT — while JYP launched the Chinese boy band Boy Story the year before. SM founder Lee Soo-man also produced a new Chinese girl group, A20 May, in December — the first group he created after leaving SM.
The establishment of Hybe China is seen by some in the industry as a sign of growing optimism that the hallyu ban may be easing.
The ban, unofficially imposed by China in 2016 as diplomatic tensions heightened between the two countries, effectively blocks Korean entertainment content from mainstream platforms on the mainland.
K-pop activity has recently surged in other Chinese-speaking regions. In March, Hybe subsidiary Ador's girl group, NewJeans, performed at ComplexCon Hong Kong, while SM's NCT 127 held sold-out shows in Taiwan, Macao and Hong Kong as part of its 'Neo City – The Moment' tour the same month.
Still, experts remain skeptical that these developments indicate a full reopening of the mainland market.
'I indeed heard about the loosening of the hallyu ban. However, I don't think having K-pop concerts in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan is a signal for this,' a Chinese journalist told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity. 'The hallyu ban is only in effect on the mainland.'
A senior official at one of the major K-pop agencies acknowledged the appeal of the mainland Chinese market — the world's fifth-largest music market, but described it as a high-risk, high-reward proposition.
'There's some hope around President Xi Jinping's expected visit to South Korea later this year. But realistically, there's little we can do at this moment,' the official said Thursday. 'Even if things open up, political tensions could shut the door again at any time. It's a big market with major opportunities, but the risks are just as high.'
