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How China’s K-pop fans skirt ban on South Korean content in strained political landscape
- Despite the apparent easing of Beijing’s ban, fans have had to come up with creative methods to follow their favourite stars
- K-pop fans have also developed ways to talk up their idols so they are viewed favourably in Chinese society
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K-pop fans in China have found new ways to navigate Beijing’s de facto ban on South Korean content, despite widening cracks in the relationship between the two countries.
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Two years since it appeared the ban had started to ease, fans have continued to come up with creative methods to indulge their passion, while also working to have their idols seen in a good light by Chinese society.
Restrictions on South Korean entertainment, including a ban on K-pop idols from Chinese television, were first triggered in 2017 when Seoul installed a US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system (THAAD) in the northern Seongju county.
Seoul said the system was needed to deter threats from Pyongyang, while Beijing saw it as a security risk, claiming it could be used to spy on military activities.
While the ban has never been officially recognised by Beijing, South Korean artists and dramas have been off air for years. An agreement in 2021 between China Media Group and Korean Broadcasting System signalled a relaxation of the unstated restrictions, and since then, despite the shows still being unavailable on television, K-pop idols such as Jessica Jung from Girls’ Generation and Amber Liu from f (x) – who both hold US citizenship – have enjoyed mainstream success in China.
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Even when bilateral relations hit a low point in August last year after an expansion of THAAD was announced, Chinese fans said they had not faced much hardship in continuing their activities.
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