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Erika Na

Ties between China and South Korea are on the mend.
Though a much-publicised concert by boy band Epex – the first K-pop show in mainland China in nine years, scheduled for the end of May – has been delayed, the long-running K-pop event Dream Concert is set to be held in mainland China for the first time later this year.
The annual concert, which has been organised by the Korea Entertainment Producers Association since 1995, is scheduled to take place in September at the 40,000-seat Sanya Sports Centre in Hainan province.
As big cultural events resume and travel between the two countries becomes easier, soft power is at the centre of the rebuilding of China-South Korea relations.
Although people in both countries welcome a thaw in relations, some note that cultural appeal alone may not be enough to change how the two nations view each other.olitically.

Tensions between the two countries rose in 2016 when following South Korea’s deployment of the American Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system (THAAD). In response, China imposed an unofficial ban on Korean cultural imports.
For years, large-scale performances by Korean artists were prohibited in mainland China. K-pop acts could only hold concerts in Hong Kong and Macau, leading many Chinese fans to travel to the two cities to see their favourite artists. K-pop events in mainland China were limited to small fan meet-ups, usually with fewer than 10,000 attendees.
Now these restrictions appear to be being relaxed.
I don’t think there is any taboo about liking Korean culture in China today, and there never really has been
Oli Wang, a 27-year-old PhD student based in Guangzhou
Over the past year, several Korean artists have received approval to perform in mainland China.
The Black Skirts, a Korean-American singer-songwriter, was granted permission to hold concerts in mainland China in late 2023 and January 2024. In April 2024, Korean hip-hop trio Homies and singer-actor Kim Jae-joong also held performances and fan meetings there.
“The atmosphere has been getting more friendly over the years since the ban,” says Oli Wang, a 27-year-old PhD student based in Guangzhou, in China’s Guangdong province. “Now I see more stores selling K-pop-related items like albums, photocards and other merchandise.”

Wang says enthusiasm for Korean culture never went away despite the restrictions, and that there has never been a stigma attached to enjoying Korean content.
“I don’t think there is any taboo about liking Korean culture in China today, and there never really has been,” she says.
She adds that Korean pop music, dramas and beauty trends have remained popular, with fans turning to unofficial channels to access content.
Illegal streaming of K-dramas and music has been widespread. One recent example is the recent series When Life Gives You Tangerines, which gained significant traction in mainland China despite Netflix, the platform that broadcasts it, being blocked there.
Chinese fans continued to follow Korean artists closely during the almost decade-long ban. Many have expressed excitement at the apparent lifting of the unofficial ban on Korean cultural imports.
Sophia Liu, a 25-year-old in Guangzhou, became a fan of the K-pop boy band NCT in 2020, four years after the ban had been enforced.
She says that while the ban did not deter her from learning about the group and becoming a fan, she was excited for what might come once restrictions were eased.
“I was very happy when I found out NCT might be allowed to perform on the mainland. I’m looking forward to their participation in some music festivals. I’m so excited to watch NCT’s concerts, not just in Hong Kong and Macau,” she says.
Another development that has fostered cultural exchange is China’s addition of South Korea to its list of visa-exempt countries in November 2024, which allows Koreans to travel there without a visa. This has led to a steep rise in Korean tourists visiting China.
Shanghai, in particular, saw an increase in South Korean visitors, with the number of trips booked to the city increasing by more than 180 per cent year on year and more than 40 per cent month on month between November 8 and December 2, 2024, according to data from Trip.com.

While greater opportunities for personal and cultural exchange have helped South Koreans become more familiar with their Chinese neighbours, some say positive travel experiences do not necessarily override diplomatic and cultural tensions.
Myeonghee Kim, 64, visited Shanghai with her daughter and son-in-law in October, just before China announced the visa-free travel policy. She had previously travelled to Beijing and Zhangjiakou, in northern China, but says she had long wanted to visit Shanghai, a major commercial hub with historical ties to Korea.
Kim describes her morning walks in Wuzhen, a scenic town outside Shanghai, as “like stepping into a myth”, and says the ferry ride along the Bund in central Shanghai was beautiful. She found the people she met in tourist areas friendly.
However, she says the trip did not significantly shift her views on the political tensions between South Korea and China.
Still, she expresses a strong interest in travelling more in China and welcomes the new visa-free arrangement.
“When I went to Shanghai, I had to deal with a complicated visa process. It was so frustrating that I didn’t want to visit China again at the time. Now that visa-free travel is possible, I think it will make a big difference,” she says.
“I’m drawn to China because I want to see the vast and unique natural landscapes only a country this size can offer. This autumn, I’m planning to visit Jiuzhai Valley National Park and Xian.”


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Chinese fans of K-pop, K-dramas and Korean beauty products no longer need unofficial channels. Korean tourists relish easier entry to China


Chinese fans of K-pop, K-dramas and Korean beauty products no longer need unofficial channels. Korean tourists relish easier entry to China.


China-South Korea relations

Soft power at centre of China-South Korea thaw, with benefits for K-pop fans and tourism

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chinese fans of K-pop, K-dramas and Korean beauty products no longer need unofficial channels. Korean tourists relish easier entry to China

Chinese fans of K-pop, K-dramas and Korean beauty products no longer need unofficial channels. Korean tourists relish easier entry to China