Expectations for End to 9-Year Ban on Korean Culture Rise as HOMIDEUL’s China Performance Approved, But Scams Surge Leading to EPEX Concert Delay

Expectations for the end of the nearly 9-year ban on Korean culture that has persisted since China deployed the THAAD system in 2016 are growing stronger. Recent successive appearances by South Korean artists on Chinese stages have made moves toward resuming Hallyu activities more apparent, but an increase in scams exploiting this situation has also resulted in some performances being postponed. HOMIDEUL received approval to perform on Chinese mainland soil for the first time since the ban began in 2016. Selected as the Best New Artist of 2021 at the Korea Hip-Hop Awards, HOMIDEUL is a three-member group born in 2000 with South Korean citizenship. While bands like the U.S.-based but South Korea-active group “Gomjeongchima” have performed in China before, this marks the first time South Korean citizens as artists are performing there. Recently, singer Yoon Soo-hyun was invited to appear on a local stage at an event commemorating Sino-Korean exchanges, the first of its kind held since the ban. In March, K-pop girl groups IVE and TWICE held fan sign-ups, further highlighting the clear trend toward resuming Hallyu activities. Changes are also occurring in the film sector. Bong Joon-ho’s new film “Mickey 17” was officially released in theaters across China. As a U.S.-produced work distributed by Warner Bros., it is simultaneously a film directed by a Korean, marking its first release in China. China’s imports of foreign films are handled by the state-owned China Film Group, under the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party, and require approval from Chinese central authorities; this release is being interpreted as an indication of eased restrictions. If the ban is lifted, a wide range of industries are expected to benefit. Before the ban, annual sales of Korean media content in China amounted to around 110 billion won, but this figure dropped to the 40-billion-won range afterward. With relaxed restrictions, various opportunities are anticipated, including exports of existing K-content intellectual property rights, simultaneous broadcasts of Chinese-produced dramas, development of locally adapted original content, and joint production collaborations. Expectations for the K-pop sector are particularly high. BIGBANG, under YG Entertainment, held a total of 29 fan meetings on Chinese mainland in 2016, attracting 480,000 fans. Today, groups such as BTS, STRAYKIZ, BLACKPINK, aespa, and TWICE have grown to the point where they can hold stadium-scale concerts. Among domestic stock-market listed entertainment companies, HYBE, SM, YG, and JYP Entertainment are all considered beneficiaries. Specifically, HYBE benefits from BTS’s full-group Comeback, SM Entertainment holds an advantage due to global idols like aespa and NCT DREAM, while JYP Entertainment sees its artists TWICE and STRAYKIZ receiving consistent attention in global markets. The K-beauty industry is also facing new growth opportunities. After COVID-19 turned into an endemic disease, Korean cosmetics targeting the 2030 demographic gained worldwide popularity through social media, leading some to describe it as a second wave of K-beauty resurgence driven by indie brands. However, scams exploiting efforts to lift the ban are also on the rise. EPEX announced that the “2025 EPEX Concert: Youth Deficiency,” originally scheduled to take place in Fuzhou, China, on May 31, had to be postponed due to local circumstances. According to industry insiders, after EPEX approved the performance, scams related to South Korean artists’ shows surged both in China and South Korea, prompting Chinese authorities to request the delay. In China, there have even been cases of companies operating under false pretenses by pretending to be high-ranking officials from the state-run CCTV to promote the idea that large-scale performances had been approved. EPEX stated it plans to announce the new date and location as soon as possible after consulting with Chinese authorities.