South Korean Boy Band EPEX to Hold Concert in Fuzhou Next Month… Gradual Easing of the ‘Hallyu Ban’ in China
Strengthening of Korea-China Relations Expected… Chinese Foreign Ministry: “Hope for Development in Bilateral Exchanges and Cooperation”
(Beijing = Yonhap News) Correspondent Jeong Seongjo = Observers suggest that the Chinese government’s recent approval of a solo concert by the K-pop boy band EPEX, composed entirely of South Korean members, signals a sped-up easing of China’s nine-year-long restrictions on Korean cultural content, known as the ‘Hallyu Ban’.
On the 29th, diplomatic sources indicate that the Fuzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism in Fujian Province, southeastern China, officially approved a concert for the South Korean 8-member boy band EPEX, titled ‘2025 EPEX 3rd Concert Youth Deficiency in Fuzhou’ set for May 31.
According to the approval document, the concert will be held at the Fuzhou University Town Cultural and Arts Center, where EPEX plans to perform 19 songs, including “Universe,” “Lock Down,” and “Can I Talk Secretly.”
The venue reportedly accommodates approximately 1,100 people.
Since 2016, China had applied the ‘unofficial retaliatory measures’ of the Hallyu Ban, limiting Korean music, drama, and film as a response to the deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system in South Korea. Consequently, performances by Korean artists in China were not authorized.
While foreign K-pop stars have occasionally appeared on Chinese television programs, this marks the first time since 2016 that a K-pop group, entirely composed of South Korean members, has been allowed to hold a ‘commercial performance’ solo concert in China.
Korea-China relations, which had been stagnant for some time, began to thaw following a trilateral summit meeting between South Korea, China, and Japan in Seoul last May. Subsequently, China exhibited active movements toward improving relations just before the inauguration of the second Trump administration in the U.S. earlier this year.
Some evaluations suggest that the Trump administration’s external policies, which aggressively pressured not only its allies but also various nations, provided a positive environment for China to mend relations with South Korea, a neighbor with significant economic exchanges.
At the end of last year, China decided to include South Korea in its list of visa-free entry countries, and in February of this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping received South Korean National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, who visited amidst martial law and impeachment proceedings, with top-level courtesy, expressing a direct willingness to visit South Korea during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit later this year.
In particular, when Speaker Woo commented, “It is difficult to find Korea-related cultural content in China. It is essential for young people to communicate and forge friendly emotions through cultural openness,” President Xi responded, “Cultural exchange is an attractive aspect of bilateral exchanges” and emphasized avoiding issues during the exchange process.
With such central-level messages for improving Korea-China relations and revitalizing cultural exchanges, it seems China’s distinct strategy of ‘gradual opening,’ which cautiously considers political and social atmospheres, starting from small-scale and unofficial events in provinces far from the capital and expanding the scope and depth, is gaining momentum.
Last December and January, singer-songwriter ‘The Black Skirts’ (Korean name Jo Hyu-il), who holds American citizenship, was authorized to perform in Xi’an (Shaanxi Province), Wuhan (Hubei Province), and Zhengzhou (Henan Province).
On the 12th of this month, the Korean national trio ‘Homies’ held their first performance of the ‘Brothers’ spring tour in Wuhan, Hubei Province, and on the same day, Trot singer Yoon Soo-hyun took the stage in the southern Hainan Province.
Although both performances involved Korean artists, the scope of the performances was limited.
The ‘Homies’ performance was part of a Korean-Chinese youth exchange event rather than a formal commercial performance, and Yoon Soo-hyun’s stage was part of the 30th-anniversary celebration of the sisterhood between Jeju Island and Hainan Province, well-known tourist destinations of the two countries.
In this context, the ‘commercial performance’ license granted to EPEX on the 25th is seen as a step forward toward more official Chinese performances by Korean artists.
However, industry experts point out that for top stars from major entertainment companies, large venues with a capacity of at least 10,000 to 20,000 seats are necessary. Therefore, to officially declare a full lifting of the Hallyu Ban, the local authorities’ approval of large-scale performances will be crucial.
On the same day, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang, when asked by reporters about the EPEX concert and the absence of K-pop concerts in the past nine years, stated, “I am not aware of the specifics of that performance,” adding, “We maintain an open stance on promoting beneficial cultural exchange and cooperation with South Korea, and we hope South Korea makes efforts alongside China to promote development in bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields.”