Approval for Chinese Overseas Star Performances... Will the Path Open for K-pop Concerts?

As China transitions to 'With Corona,' the performance market is reopening. Attention is focused on whether Hallyu stars can resume their performances in China.

On the 16th, the China National Cultural and Tourism Administration announced through a notice that it will resume accepting applications and granting approvals for foreign commercial performances starting from the 20th.

BTS

The Cultural and Tourism Administration explained that this decision was made to promote economic and social development, facilitate the recovery of the performance market, and meet the spiritual and cultural needs of the people.

It added that all regions must urge performance organizers to implement epidemic prevention and control measures.

This decision increases the likelihood of Hallyu stars resuming their performances in China.

Before the so-called 'Hanhanryeong' (Hallyu restriction order) was imposed following the 2016 deployment decision of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense), performances and fan meetings of Hallyu stars were thriving in China.

Even when Hallyu was impacted by Hanhanryeong, music tracks by BTS, Big Bang's G-Dragon, and others continued to be popular in China, and although Korean dramas were not officially serviced, shows like 'Squid Game' consistently attracted significant attention locally through illegal downloads.

In this context, with China resuming approvals for foreign commercial performances, attention is on whether Hallyu stars will start performing in China again.

This year, China has provided Korean dramas such as 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha' and 'My Liberation Notes' through online video service platforms.