K-POP Group Activities in China Disrupted by Sino-Japanese Tensions…Ongoing Exclusions and Cancellations of Japanese Members

Tensions between China and Japan have begun to directly impact K-POP groups’ activities in China. Recently, there has been a series of cancellations or exclusions of Japanese members from events hosted by K-POP groups in China. The five-member girl group LE SSERAFIM canceled its first fan signing event for the single “SPAGHETTI” scheduled for December 14 in Shanghai, China. The event organizer, MakeStar, officially stated that the cancellation was necessary after careful discussions with various relevant parties due to force majeure, but it did not disclose specific reasons. However, given that members Sakura and Kazuha of LE SSERAFIM are Japanese, it is believed that China’s “Hanil-ryeong” (ban on Japanese content) policy played a role in this decision. Similar cases followed. The group Close Your Eyes held a fan meeting in Hangzhou, China, on December 6, but its Japanese member Kenshin did not attend. Additionally, a fan meeting for trainees under Encode Entertainment planned for Shanghai on the same day was abruptly canceled. Japanese members Masato and Sen, who appeared on Mnet’s audition program “Boys 2 Planet,” were scheduled to participate in this event. Encode announced that unexpected and serious force majeure occurred early in the morning of the event day, making it impossible to proceed. Since 2016, following South Korea’s decision to deploy the THAAD missile defense system in the country, China has imposed restrictions on large-scale K-POP performances through its “Hanhan-ryeong” (restrictions on Korean culture). However, small-scale fan meetings without music performances were generally allowed. Although there was optimism that these restrictions might ease after the South Korea-China summit on November 1, the situation has worsened with new constraints arising from Sino-Japanese tensions. As K-POP gains popularity across Asia and the world, groups with multinational members have become common, and restrictions on groups including Japanese members are causing serious concerns within the industry. An industry insider expressed worry, saying, “There was high anticipation due to the easing trend of ‘Hanhan-ryeong,’ but now it seems a ‘Hanil-ryeong’ has emerged.”