China-Korea Tension Rises: China to Ban Korean Entertainment Due to THAAD Dispute
The tension between China and South Korea seems to have risen further since the THAAD dispute started. Now it seems that China is solidifying their threats to ban Korean projects according to recent reports.
A Chinese entertainment company has reportedly imposed a prohibition order on Korean entertainment content. As reported by Soompi, Korean dramas, films, variety shows, remakes, and even collaborative projects will be banned from broadcast in China. While the ban has not been made official yet, there are already numerous incidents that show that the country is adamant in their stance on THAAD against South Korea.
According to AllKpop, actress Yoo In Na was filming the Chinese remake of Korean drama "Queen In Hyun's Man," but has ultimately stopped filming. Chinese-Korean collaborative varieties show "Star Descent" casting Kang Ho Dong and Leeteuk as MCs was cancelled with no proper explanation. Leeteuk's agency SM C&C purportedly released a statement indicating that the Chinese staff halted the production and the reason is unclear.
Also, "Descendants of the Sun" star Song Joong Ki was also affected by the ban in China. The 30-year-old actor's ad for Vivo, a smartphone company in China, was pulled out in light of the China-Korea dispute. It was a move from the Chinese government against South Korea showing they can cut off ties despite Joong Ki or other Korean stars' extreme popularity in the country, which ultimately expands and benefits the Korean entertainment industry.
THAAD or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense was deployed after the decision of the United States and South Korea. To defend themselves against missile threats from North Korea, THAAD was established in South Korean territory to which China had since been opposing. China is reportedly against this decision due to the proximity of having a high-tech system being deployed so close to their nation's borders.
As such, Korean entertainment could soon be completely banned from China depending on whether the two countries compromise or not.