From chilly to chill? Korean hip-hop trio Homies’ show in China may indicate thaw

Korean hip-hop trio Homies held a concert in China over the weekend, marking the first performance by a Korean act on the mainland in eight years amid signs of warming cultural ties between Seoul and Beijing.

Homies kicked off their tour, “Brothers,” on April 12 with a concert in Wuhan, the capital of central China’s Hubei Province, according to Yonhap on Thursday.

Beijing imposed a de facto ban on Korean entertainment exports in 2016 in retaliation against Seoul’s deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or Thaad, antimissile system. The restriction blocked Korean music, television dramas and films from entering the Chinese market, effectively halting performances by Korean musicians.

Last July, there were high hopes for a possible thaw when Korean rock band Say Sue Me was scheduled to perform in Beijing, news that was even welcomed by the Korean ambassador to China.

But the concert was abruptly canceled three weeks before the date, reportedly due to a wave of anti-Korean sentiment and critical media coverage in China.

Toward the end of last year, however, signs of a shift began to emerge. Indie singer-songwriter The Black Skirts — a U.S. citizen of Korean descent — received permission to perform in cities including Xi’an, Wuhan and Zhengzhou in late 2024 and January of this year, raising expectations that Beijing was willing to reopen its cultural exchanges with Korea.

The appearance of Homies, whose members hold Korean citizenship, is interpreted as a more definitive sign of China’s gradual cultural opening.

On the same day as the Homies concert in Wuhan, Hainan Province hosted a commemorative event celebrating 30 years of sisterhood ties with Jeju Island. Korean trot singer Yoon Soo-hyun performed at the event, further reflecting a growing openness toward cultural events involving Korean artists.

The shift appears to extend beyond music. Earlier this month, actors Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung, who gained global fame through Netflix’s “Squid Game” (2021-), visited Beijing and met with representatives from Chinese entertainment companies. Their meetings were publicly confirmed, suggesting a deliberate effort to revive industry ties.

China has recently sought to improve diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, partly in response to growing pressure from the Donald Trump administration’s hard-line policy against Beijing. The country has since issued unilateral visa waivers and emphasized the importance of cultural exchanges in its outreach to Korea.

Some analysts believe that Chinese President Xi Jinping could visit Korea later this year during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November. They see this as part of a broader effort to reset bilateral ties.

According to the Korean National Assembly, Xi told Speaker Woo Won-shik during a meeting in Harbin this February that he is “seriously considering” attending the APEC summit.

“Cultural exchanges are a compelling part of bilateral relations, and we must avoid incidents that disrupt them,” Xi reportedly said.

BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]