China is showing signs of lifting restrictions on Korean content, known as the "Hallyu ban" or "Hanhanling," which has been in place for eight years since the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system. Expectations are growing that regulations will gradually ease as Korean drama remakes appear on streaming platforms and Korean celebrities hold fan meetings in China.
According to the South China Morning Post on the 22nd (local time), the Chinese drama "Chuxue Manguo de Dongtian," a remake of Korean drama "My Mister," was released last month on streaming platform Youku. This marks the first Korean drama remake to be released since the Chinese government's ban on Korean dramas.
China unofficially banned Korean entertainment content in 2016, citing the THAAD deployment. The move was also intended to protect its domestic cultural industry by blocking the influx of globally popular Korean cultural content. While no official government announcement was made, K-pop concerts were canceled in succession and Korean dramas disappeared from Chinese streaming platforms. Korean celebrities were also edited out of Chinese variety programs.
However, the atmosphere between the two countries changed following President Lee Jae-myung's visit to China last month. During the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Lee discussed the issue of cultural content imports. Both sides agreed to expand exchanges in soccer and Go, and to hold working-level consultations on film and drama-related exchanges.
Immediately after the summit, President Lee told reporters that "President Xi said, 'Three feet of ice doesn't melt all at once, and fruit falls when it ripens in due time,'" suggesting China's gradual opening of its cultural market. Chinese Ambassador to Korea Dai Bing recently said at an event in Seoul that "the expression 'Hallyu ban' is not accurate," adding that "both countries will promote healthy and beneficial cultural exchanges." He continued, "As bilateral relations continue to improve and friendly sentiments between the peoples deepen, cultural exchange activities will become more active."
Earlier this month, CJ ENM partnered with JYP Entertainment's Chinese subsidiary and Tencent Music to establish "One Seed," an artist management and music production company targeting the Chinese market. ITZY, IVE, Hearts2Hearts, and Lee Dong-wook held fan meetings in China last month, with NCT, EXO, and CNBLUE scheduled to hold fan meetings this month.
Some observers predict it will take considerable time before China fully lifts its ban on Korean content. This is because there have been precedents where the "Hanhanling" appeared to be easing only to be reinforced again, and given the Chinese leadership's awareness of anti-China sentiment in Korea, a full-scale resumption of exchanges like in the past will not be easy. In fact, BTS announced plans for its largest-ever tour spanning 30 cities worldwide, but mainland China was excluded from the tour schedule.
Lee Dong-gyu, a researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said, "China's cultural ban is a measure that uses economic pressure as a political tool while also protecting its domestic cultural industry," but added, "Given the current international situation, it will not be easy for both countries to reach an agreement on lifting the ban."