K-pop stars could start performing in mainland China again soon
- No major South Korean musician has performed in mainland China since South Korea’s decision to deploy a US missile defence system in 2016
- But Chinese concert promoters have started seeking permission to invite South Korean performers again amid signs of thawing relationships
Chinese concert promoters are seeking permission for South Korean bands to perform in the country, according to people familiar with the matter, a sign of growing optimism that relations between the two countries are thawing.
Ties between Beijing and Seoul have been strained since South Korea agreed in 2016 to host a US missile defence system strongly opposed by China. No major South Korean musician has performed in mainland China since, and promoters have not bothered to invite South Korean acts for a couple of years because of the perception that the government would reject such visa applications.
But they have recently started making such requests, according to the sources, who asked not to be named because the topic is politically sensitive. It is unclear whether the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism is inclined to approve any of the applications, they said.
Apart from shows in China’s special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau, K-pop entertainers such as BTS – who last year became the first South Korean band to top the US Billboard charts – have not been able to get permits to perform in mainland China for years as part of a broader campaign against Korean businesses. The rift prompted China to launch a slew of punitive measures that cost the South Korean economy billions of dollars in lost business.
That is why the stakes over these permits could be much higher than the fate of a few concerts.
“People are getting ready,” says Archie Hamilton, managing director of the China-based music promotion company Split Works. “There is a lot of money there.”