Chinese President Xi Jinping responded favorably to a proposal for organizing a large-scale K-pop concert in Beijing, according to a South Korean lawmaker who witnessed the exchange during a state dinner. The positive reaction from China's top leader has raised hopes for a potential breakthrough in cultural exchanges between the two countries, which have been severely restricted for nearly a decade.
Representative Kim Young-bae of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party revealed details of the conversation in a Facebook post following the state dinner held in Gyeongju, a southeastern city in South Korea. The dinner was part of President Xi's official state visit to South Korea during the APEC 2025 summit. According to Kim's account, the cultural exchange proposal emerged during informal discussions between high-level officials from both nations.
"President Lee Jae Myung, President Xi and Park Jin-young, co-chair of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange, were speaking briefly, and President Xi responded positively to a proposal to hold a large concert in Beijing and called over Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to give him instructions," Kim wrote in his social media post. The lawmaker's firsthand account suggests that Xi took the proposal seriously enough to immediately involve his foreign minister in the discussion.
The potential cultural breakthrough comes against the backdrop of a prolonged ban on South Korean entertainment content in China. Beijing imposed comprehensive restrictions on Korean cultural products as part of broader economic retaliation measures following Seoul's 2016 decision to deploy the United States' Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system on South Korean territory. This ban effectively cut off Chinese audiences from Korean dramas, music, and other entertainment content that had previously enjoyed massive popularity.
Before the restrictions were implemented, South Korean entertainment had achieved remarkable success in China, with K-pop groups, Korean dramas, and movies drawing millions of Chinese fans. The Korean Wave, known as Hallyu, had become a significant cultural and economic force, generating substantial revenue and soft power influence for South Korea in the Chinese market.
Representative Kim expressed optimism that the positive exchange he witnessed could lead to more than just the lifting of existing restrictions. He hoped it would pave the way for K-culture's comprehensive expansion and full-scale return to the Chinese market. This sentiment reflects broader expectations within South Korea's entertainment industry and government circles about the potential for renewed cultural cooperation.
During an official press briefing about the summit meeting between Presidents Lee and Xi, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac provided additional context about cultural cooperation discussions. He confirmed that the two leaders had reached an agreement to "have many exchanges and a large amount of cooperation on culture." Wi also indicated that both sides would be able to "coordinate through working-level communication in the future," suggesting that concrete steps toward cultural exchange could be implemented through diplomatic channels.
The positive developments regarding cultural exchange occurred alongside broader diplomatic discussions between South Korea and China during the APEC summit. The state visit and subsequent meetings addressed various bilateral issues, including economic cooperation, regional security concerns, and efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula. The cultural dimension of the relationship appears to be gaining renewed attention as both countries seek to strengthen their overall bilateral ties.
