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

CHINA and South Korea discussed expanding cultural exchanges during a bilateral summit between their leaders on Saturday (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 Korea’s Lee Jae Myung agreed on the need to expand cultural cooperation, Yonhap News cited National Security Advisor Wi Sung-rak as saying. 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 Korean entertainment – from K-pop concerts to TV dramas and films – was imposed about a decade ago after Seoul’s decision to deploy the 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 Xi reacted positively to Seoul’s suggestion of holding a K-pop concert in Beijing, in a social media post. Kim, who shared photos from the summit dinner, said 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 Sunday, 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, SM Entertainment and CJ ENM. Park Jinyoung, founder of JYP Entertainment, attended the summit dinner in Gyeongju as the head of the cultural commission, and posted a photo of himself with the leaders of China and South Korea on Instagram. BLOOMBERG