K-pop Makes Comeback in China After Nearly a Decade-Long Freeze
In 2025, China will host a major K-pop concert tour, featuring BTS, EXO, and more. The event marks the end of a cultural freeze lasting nearly 10 years.
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After nearly ten years of suspended cultural ties following South Korea’s deployment of the U.S.-backed THAAD missile defense system, China appears ready to welcome K-pop back through a series of citywide music events.
China Central Television has announced plans for a Sino-Korean concert tour in the latter half of 2025, featuring venues in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and three other urban centers. Organizers expect each show to draw about 30,000 fans.
Industry insiders say the lineup under consideration includes top male idol acts such as BTS, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, TREASURE and EXO. The move signals a potential reopening of China’s entertainment market to Korean performers, where an informal ban has kept major K-pop acts offstage since 2017.
A concert planner confirmed that official clearance arrived on May 1, the first day of China’s Labor Day holiday, marking the first formal approval for K-pop events since restrictions took effect.
In an early indication of change, the boy band EPEX staged a concert in Fuzhou on April 30, the first K-pop performance in China since 2016. Local authorities granted permission for the show, titled “Youth Deficiency of Fuzhou.”
South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik met President Xi Jinping in February. Xi highlighted the importance of cultural exchange during their talks, suggesting a shift in Beijing’s policy toward the Korean Wave.
If confirmed, the concert series could pave the way for K-pop groups to re-enter the Chinese market ahead of planned global tours in 2026. For K-pop agencies and fans, the development signals the end of a long freeze and the start of renewed cooperation.
