K-pop’s big freeze: are cracks in China’s cultural blockade a thaw?

2026-02-21 - 22:05

While K-pop has conquered almost every corner of the globe, South Korea’s entertainment industry remains largely locked out of the Chinese market due to a geopolitical chill that has lingered for a decade. China unofficially banned South Korean entertainment products in 2016 after Seoul deployed the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system (THAAD) despite Beijing’s objections. K-pop concerts were cancelled, South Korean dramas disappeared from Chinese streaming platforms, and South Korean...