CreatripTeam

After a dinner chat between Chinese President Xi Jinping and JYP founder Park Jin-young, hopes resurfaced that China might ease the informal restrictions on Korean culture known as the hanhanryeong (限韓令). Xi’s APEC remark hoping the “beautiful butterfly (K-culture) flies to Shenzhen and sings” plus reports that Xi asked his foreign minister to act after Park suggested a big Beijing concert fueled optimism. But Seoul officials and industry leaders urge caution: the hanhanryeong was never a formal decree but a collection of “invisible barriers” (spectrum: TV and ad bans, concert permits blocked, film/drama imports and game licenses halted) that persisted despite improved ties. Cancellation and postponement of recent K-pop events in China show those barriers remain. If reopened, China — a top global music market and major source of tour, merchandise, album and advertising revenue — could power a second surge for K-pop. Analysts call Xi’s comments a positive sign but stress that concrete administrative actions, like formal performance permits, are needed before the industry can assume the market is truly open.