After nearly a decade, China is reversing its ban on Korean pop culture. It will open doors for K-pop, Korean dramas, and films to return to the Chinese market as early as May.
The ban was first put in place in 2017, as a response to South Korea’s installation of the US-backed THAAD missile defense system. Now, eight years later, China is set to lift the restrictions.
A senior official from the China-Asia Pacific Cooperation Center announced plans to revive cultural exchanges with South Korea. The initiative will begin with a civilian cultural delegation visiting Korea next month. According to the official, China aims to fully restore cultural ties with South Korea within the first half of this year.
China is set to lift its long-standing ban on Korean content, imposed over the deployment of THAAD. This means Korean dramas, movies, games, and K-pop performances will finally be allowed to reach Chinese audiences again.
The decision is largely driven by the country’s desire to strengthen ties with South Korea. Both countries are preparing to host the APEC summit in consecutive years.
Although the Chinese government denies the existence of a THAAD ban, in reality, it has effectively blocked the distribution of Korean content in China. To export Korean content to China, official approval from the Chinese government is required, but in practice, this approval has been consistently withheld.
A report by the KDB Future Strategy Research Institute estimated that this ban resulted in losses of up to 22 trillion won ($18.5 billion USD) for Korean industries in 2017 alone.
China is making friendly moves toward South Korea. This comes as the US and China have been at odds. To improve ties, China has started to make things easier for South Koreans. For example, China added South Korea to its visa-free list last year. This was the first since the two countries started diplomatic relations in 1992. Recently, China’s President Xi Jinping even met with South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker.
China plans to fully restore cultural exchanges with South Korea by the first half of this year, ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, in October.
According to a senior official from the China Asia-Pacific Cooperation Center, China will:
- Allow the export of Korean dramas, games, and other content to China
- Permit Korean singers to perform in China again
This will strengthen cultural ties between the two nations before the APEC summit.
Lifting the THAAD ban is expected to give a big boost to South Korea’s industries. Research shows that the ban caused significant losses, estimated at 15-22 trillion won per year.
The industries that were hit hardest by the ban were those that produced consumer goods, such as clothing, cosmetics, and food. These industries saw a big drop in production due to the ban.
Fans are thrilled after the recent announcement and can not wait for the ban to be lifted and for Korean content to be allowed in China once again
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