Hopes for K-pop and Korean drama revival in China high after Mamamoo concert broadcast
The live broadcast of K-pop girl group Mamamoo at a Chinese festival last week adds to growing evidence that frozen ties between Chinese and Korean entertainment businesses are thawing and ‘hallyu’ might start flowing again
By Park Jin-hai
Hopes for a revival of hallyu – meaning “Korean wave” and referring to the spread of South Korea’s popular culture – in China are growing as Beijing moves to lift its ban on Korean cultural imports, including K-pop and K-dramas.
After South Korea and China agreed to end disputes regarding the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system, industry experts predict a thaw in frozen ties between Korean and Chinese entertainment businesses.
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The ban, a retaliatory measure against Seoul’s decision to deploy a US missile defence system, has been in place since July last year.
As a change of turn, the performance of K-pop girl group Mamamoo at a Chinese festival was broadcast live last Wednesday, while a Chinese TV station ran a special broadcast about the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on the same day.
Reflecting this positive mood, local drama production companies are planning future projects with China, which had been the biggest consumer of Korean entertainment products before the ban.
“Contacts from China’s online video services … are asking about drama line-ups for next year. I see the Chinese market will be open to K-culture again,” says Hwang Ki-young, head of drama production division at South Korean talent agency iHQ, which produced the romantic comedy While You Were Sleeping.