A scene from musical "Laundry" / Courtesy of CH Soobak



By Kwon Mee-yoo

Korean artists and entertainers have had a hard time in China as the Chinese authorities imposed restrictions on Korean content in retaliation to the placement of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery. However, frosty ties between Korea and China show signs of thawing after President Moon Jae-in took office on May 10.

President Moon had a 40-minute phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping last Thursday and reportedly discussed THAAD and North Korea's nuclear program.

The talk created expectations China would ease its THAAD retaliation and stock prices of major Korean entertainment companies such as SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment ascended soon after their call.

An agency specializing in bridging Korea and China said it started to receive requests from China again after the Moon-Xi phone conversation.

"We were open without any business for months, but it seems the retaliatory measures against Korea are loosening," the agency official said. "We haven't signed any deals yet but the Chinese companies are taking preliminary actions to work with top hallyu stars as soon as the ban is lifted."

Korean entertainment companies are slowly making a stretch in China, but their activities are mostly limited to shows performed by Chinese to minimize backlash.

The boy band Varsity, a joint project of Korea's CSO Entertainment and the Chinese entertainment company that produced the hit variety show "Challengers Alliance," will resume their presence in China. The band consists of seven Korean members, four Chinese members and a Chinese-American member, as well as Varsity Five, a unit of five Chinese members who will release a Chinese single and hold a showcase in Beijing Wednesday.

Korean musicals are also staged in China, performed by Chinese actors.





A poster for a licensed production of the Korean musical "Laundry" in China / Courtesy of CH Sookbak

A Korean homegrown musical "Laundry," which revolves around a bookstore clerk Na-young and a Mongolian immigrant worker Solongo set in Seoul, confirmed its Chinese production at the Dayin Theater in Beijing from June 23 to July 9, according to CH Soobak.

A Korean production of the musical was invited to China last year and the June show is going to be the first Chinese language production, starring Chinese actors.

"We talked with our Chinese partners not to highlight that the show is from Korea after the THAAD issues, but the atmosphere in China recently changed and we will set the show in Seoul like the Korean one," the musical's producer said.

Another Korean musical "My Bucket List" will also make its way onto the Chinese stage this summer ― at the Magnolia Theatre in Shanghai from Aug. 8 to 20 and the Dayin Theater in Beijing from Aug. 26 to 27.

Producer Han Seung-won of HJ Culture, which will stage a Chinese version of the Korean musical "Vincent van Gogh" in Shanghai in September, said, "The Chinese licensed production will go on as scheduled though we don't promote it as a Korean musical as we did before. We are also discussing mounting other Korean shows such as Little Jack with our Chinese partners."