Soft power at centre of China-South Korea thaw, with benefits for K-pop fans and tourism
Chinese fans of K-pop, K-dramas and Korean beauty products no longer need unofficial channels. Korean tourists relish easier entry to China
Ties between China and South Korea are on the mend.
The annual concert, which has been organised by the Korea Entertainment Producers Association since 1995, is scheduled to take place in September at the 40,000-seat Sanya Sports Centre in Hainan province.
As big cultural events resume and travel between the two countries becomes easier, soft power is at the centre of the rebuilding of China-South Korea relations.
Although people in both countries welcome a thaw in relations, some note that cultural appeal alone may not be enough to change how the two nations view each other.olitically.
Tensions between the two countries rose in 2016 when following South Korea’s deployment of the American Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system (THAAD). In response, China imposed an unofficial ban on Korean cultural imports.