China CCTV Plans Major K-Pop Concert Tour, Signaling Potential End to Korean Entertainment Ban
BEIJING, May 2, 2025 – China's state broadcaster CCTV is reportedly planning to host a large-scale K-pop concert series featuring top South Korean artists across major Chinese cities, potentially marking the end of years-long restrictions on Korean entertainment content in the country.
Industry sources revealed Thursday that CCTV is in discussions to invite approximately ten prominent K-pop acts, including global powerhouses BTS, SEVENTEEN, and Stray Kids, for performances in six major metropolitan areas including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
The initiative represents the first major collaborative entertainment project between China and South Korea since the implementation of the so-called "Korean Wave ban" (限韓令), which severely limited Korean cultural content in China following diplomatic tensions.
"This proposed concert series transcends being merely an entertainment event," said Park Min-soo, an East Asian cultural exchange analyst at Korea University. "If finalized, it would serve as a concrete indicator that cultural relations between the two nations are normalizing after a prolonged period of restriction."
The potential concert tour has already generated significant buzz across Chinese social media platforms, with millions of posts from fans expressing excitement about the possibility of seeing their favorite K-pop artists perform in China for the first time in years.
Entertainment industry executives view the development as potentially transformative for the regional entertainment landscape. "The reopening of the Chinese market to Korean artists would significantly expand their global reach and provide substantial new revenue streams for the K-pop industry," noted a senior executive at a major Korean entertainment company who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of ongoing negotiations.
When contacted, a CCTV representative stated that "final arrangements regarding the schedule and participating artists are still being coordinated," adding that "an official announcement will be made in the near future."
Market analysts estimate that access to China's entertainment market could generate billions in additional revenue for Korean entertainment companies, whose artists have built substantial followings in China despite the restrictions through digital platforms and unofficial channels.
The initiative comes amid broader signs of warming cultural relations between the two Asian economic powers, though officials from both countries have yet to make formal statements regarding any policy changes.