Cautious optimism in the air for K-pop concert in Beijing after Korea-China summit at APEC

President Lee Jae Myung, right, and JYP Entertainment founder and co-chair of the newly established Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange Park Jin-young pose for photos at the K-culture exhibition zone inside Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on Oct. 1. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

 
China could be ready to lower its barriers to Korean pop culture, a lawmaker said Saturday, claiming that Chinese President Xi Jinping "reacted positively" to a suggestion to organize a large-scale performance in Beijing.
 
Should the performance come to life, it would be the first in over eight years since China has been shunning Korean pop culture in the country since Korea deployed the U.S.-led antimissile Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) system in 2016.
 

Related Article

• Xi congratulates Lee on election win as Beijing cautiously hopes for thawing ties

• From chilly to chill? Korean hip-hop trio Homies' show in China may indicate thaw

• Apparent thaw in North Korea-China ties could signal alliance recalibration

• K-pop stars, dancing robot dogs and bamboo flutes take APEC gala dinner by storm

 
"There has been a surprise development from tonight’s banquet," Rep. Kim Young-bae of the Democratic Party of Korea wrote on his social media account on Saturday with a photo of the Korea-China summit.
 
“President Lee Jae-myung, President Xi and Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange leader Park Jin-young briefly spoke, and when the idea of a large-scale performance in Beijing came up, President Xi responded positively and called over Foreign Minister Wang Yi to give instructions.”
 
Kim added, "It may be the moment when not only the ban is lifted, but also the door opens wide for the full-scale expansion of K-culture."
 
In a press briefing held Saturday, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac also said that the two countries shared "a consensus on increasing cultural exchange and putting effort into content cooperation."
 

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Korean President Lee Jae Myung talk during the AEPC summit held on Nov. 1 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, in this photo uploaded by Rep. Kim Young-bae of the Democratic Party. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
The government, however, has cautioned against excessive interpretation. The summit may have helped further strengthen friendly relations between the two countries, but the possibility was not officially mentioned in the results of the Korea-China summit and therefore too fragile to be discussed in official terms.
 
"We understand the remarks between President Xi and Committee Chair Park Jin-young during the diplomatic event as general pleasantries exchanged while greeting each other," the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange said in a press release on Sunday. "It would be premature and overly hasty to read too much into them."
 
Following Korea’s decision to deploy the Thaad antimissile system in 2016, China responded with unofficial retaliatory measures restricting the import, distribution and performance of Korean music, dramas and films. Since 2017, the Korean Wave has effectively been shut out of the Chinese market, with the last major hit being the 2016 KBS drama “Descendants of the Sun.”
 
Signs of a thaw, however, began to emerge after the launch of the Donald Trump administration in the United States. In April, Korean hip-hop trio Homies became the first act to hold an official concert in China — in Wuhan — since the ban began. Analysts wager that as China grapples with a trade war with the United States, it may increasingly see the need to improve ties with Korea.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM CHUL-WOONG [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]