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| Jun Ji-hyun, left and Lee Min-ho in "The Legend of the Blue Sea" / Courtesy of SBS |
China toughens regulations against Korean stars
By Kim Jae-heun
China has strengthened its regulations against Korean stars performing on the mainland and appearing on TV series in retaliation to Korea's continued pledge to deploy a U.S. missile defense system in the country.
Cheong Wa Dae and the U.S. agreed to install the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in Korea in July and are showing no signs of withdrawing the plan despite strong criticism from the Chinese government. Beijing has decided to ban hallyu, or the Korean wave, in its territory.
According to a report from China's culture ministry on Tuesday, no Korean singer has been approved to perform in the country since October.
Industry sources said no Korean stars have performed in China not only because people are discouraged to organize concerts there and the number of applications has decreased but also because some applications have been turned down by the Chinese government.
| Actor Kim Soo-hyun who gained Chinese fans since appearing in "My Love from the Star" / Korea Times file |
A Chinese entertainment corporation has been reportedly fined 17 million won ($14,460) for pushing ahead with a Korean idol group concert that had not been approved by the Chinese government, and it was ordered to refund ticket buyers double the original ticket price. The entertainment company invited the Korean group and began selling tickets a month before the concert but the Chinese government refused to confirm the show.
Another industry source said any concert not approved by the Chinese government will be canceled and the promoter will be fined and lose its license to host concerts if it ignores government warnings. He added that all responsibility, too, will be put on the promoter for any problems in refunding the tickets.
Chinese entertainment shows starring Korean celebrities, or shows produced by Korean directors or funded by Korean investors, are said to face the same situation.
Chinese daily newspaper Huanqiu Shibao cited that the government's ban includes Korean product commercials on TV.
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| A still from "Saimdang, Her Story" / Courtesy of group8 |
No official announcement has been made by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, which supervises all TV programs in China, but allegations abound that high-ranking officials at TV stations have been told to ban any content related to hallyu.
Chinese media outlets also predicted it will be very difficult to spot Koreans on Chinese TV.
Meanwhile, Seoul has taken further steps to worsen the case by negotiating for the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with Japan. The deal allows both governments to directly exchange military intelligence to better cope with North Korea's growing threats.
However, some experts argue that Japan's original intention behind the intelligence trade deal is to receive information on China and Russia through the U.S THAAD system that is expected to be deployed in Korea within eight to 10 months, according to the commander of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) Gen. Vincent K. Brooks. Both the U.S. and South Korean government said the system will only be used to monitor North Korea, but China refutes that THAAD can be used to spy on the Chinese mainland.
Recently 16 Korean cultural imports have been disapproved by the Chinese government. Sixteen other TV programs, such as SBS's historical drama series "Saimdang, Light's Diary" starring Lee Young-ae and tvN's "The K2" are still undergoing review with the Chinese government.
