Although music and politics are two different fields, in reality, they profoundly influence each other. That is why, even though кσяєαn content has become globally popular, it is still subject to political and diplomatic interpretation in ¢нιиα, leading to frequent boycotts.
For many years, K-pop has spread strongly across Asian and European countries. The number of fans of K-pop artists in ¢нιиα is also enormous, but strangely, the government of this country has continuously taken measures to restrict the penetration of кσяєαn culture into the domestic market.
There is an unspoken but “clear” rule that кσяєαn artists and groups are banned from performing and promoting in ¢нιиα. Therefore, even though the fanbase is large, almost no concerts of K-pop idols are held in this country. Meanwhile, music, films, and programs with Hallyu content are often restricted, unlicensed, and not broadcast on Chinese platforms.
In addition to ¢нιиα’s unofficial retaliation against South кσяєα for deploying the THAAD system, this also stems from the defensive mindset of the Beijing government, fearing that Hallyu will bring capitalism and greatly influence the fundamental culture of ¢нιиα.
However, contrary to Beijing’s ban, the BTS fan community has still grown stronger each year with enthusiastic support for BTS. As a result, many BTS fans in ¢нιиα have always hoped that one day the group could come to perform there.
During one of SUGA’s live broadcasts, some fans suggested a concert in ¢нιиα, but immediately, he responded with “helplessness”: “Everyone, it isn’t possible for me to perform in chínα.”
He explained that promoting music in ¢нιиα is very unlikely, even if the group has a Chinese member. He also pointed out that if a group has a Chinese member, only that member is allowed to work in the country, but the group itself cannot promote there.
In one K-Pop group these days, there are кσяєαns, Chinese, and members from different nationalities. I’ve seen instances where the Chinese members are allowed to work in chínα, but the group itself is not allowed to", he said.
With restrictions from the authorities, it is no surprise that even if SUGA wants to go to ¢нιиα to meet ARMYs and hold a concert, he still cannot. BTS is the same, and many other K-pop artists also face this barrier. Meanwhile, Chinese fans can only continue to travel to other countries to see their idols perform.
A clearer example of SUGA’s explanation is the case of aespa. Ningning is a Chinese member, so she can return to her country and promote individually, but aespa as a group cannot. The cases of SEVENTEEN and WayV are similar, even though they also have Chinese members.
Nevertheless, there have also been some positive signals in recent years showing diplomatic efforts between ¢нιиα and кσяєα, such as the Tencent Music Entertainment Awards inviting some кσяєαn artists to perform at the event, and even awarding K-pop idols such as… However, the idols were only allowed to perform in Macau, not Mainland ¢нιиα, showing that THAAD restrictions remain very strict.
Moreover, although earlier this year, industry experts mentioned that cultural barriers might gradually be loosened, raising hopes that BTS would be able to come to ¢нιиα for a concert, recently, a politically sensitive line in the Disney+ drama North Star starring Jun Ji-hyun sparked a new wave of boycotts.
In one scene of the drama, “Why does ¢нιиα support the war? A nuclear вσмв could fall on the border,” recently spread across Chinese social media, causing controversy. The accusation that South кσяєα deliberately “distorts ¢нιиα’s image” not only affected actress Jun Ji-hyun herself but also closed the door of Mainland ¢нιиα to other Hallyu stars.
