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Why China may soon lift its de facto ban on South Korean cultural products

University of Toronto professor Michelle Cho talks about the reports that China’s de facto ban on South Korean culture — TV, music, film, etc. — may finally be lifting after 8 years.

University of Toronto professor Michelle Cho unpacks the latest reports regarding the eight-year de facto ban

CBC Arts ·
The national flags of South Korea and China flutter in the wind before the arrival of Chinese Premier Li Qiang at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam on May 26, 2024.
The national flags of South Korea and China flutter in the wind before the arrival of Chinese Premier Li Qiang at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam on May 26, 2024. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

While South Korea has become a cultural powerhouse around the world in recent years, there's one place where K-pop and K-dramas haven't dominated in quite the same way.

There's a de facto ban on Korean movies, music, and other cultural products in China. The restrictions began in 2017, reportedly in response to South Korea's installation of an American missile defense system.

But after almost eight years, and an increasingly rocky relationship with the United States, there are reports that China could soon reverse that unofficial ban.

Today on Commotion, University of Toronto professor Michelle Cho talks with guest host Rad Simonpillai about what we do and do not know about the future of South Korean TV, music, film and more in China's cultural market.

WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube (this segment begins at 14:52):

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Michelle Cho produced by Jane van Koeverden.

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