China, South Korea leaders discuss cultural ties a decade after ban

GYEONGJU, South Korea – China and South Korea discussed expanding cultural exchanges during a bilateral summit between their leaders on Nov 1 in Gyeongju, raising hopes of a possible easing of Beijing’s unofficial restrictions on South Korean entertainment. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed on the need to expand cultural cooperation, Yonhap News cited National Security Adviser Wi Sung-rak as saying.

Mr Wi added that “legal and procedural constraints” pose a hurdle to any full normalisation of content exchanges, the report said. 

China’s informal ban on South Korean entertainment – from K-pop concerts to TV dramas and films – was imposed about a decade ago after South Korea’s decision to deploy a US missile defence system, which Beijing views as a security threat.  

Expectations of the easing of the so-called “K-culture ban” emerged after South Korean lawmaker Kim Young-bae said Mr Xi reacted positively to South Korea’s suggestion of holding a K-pop concert in Beijing, in a social media post.

Mr Kim, who shared photos from the summit dinner, said Mr Xi even called over Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to follow up on the idea. 

South Korea’s presidential commission on cultural exchange, however, sought to cool expectations on Nov 2, saying the discussions were “courtesy comments exchanged at a diplomatic event”, according to Yonhap. The commission said it would be “premature” to over-interpret, it said. 

A formal reopening of China’s entertainment market could provide a lift for South Korea’s pop culture industry, home to major companies such as Hybe Co, SM Entertainment Co and CJ ENM Co.

JYP Entertainment Corp’s founder Park Jin-young, also known as JYP, attended the summit dinner in Gyeongju as head of the cultural commission, and posted a photo of himself with the leaders of China and South Korea on Instagram. BLOOMBERG