China CCTV Pushes for Large-scale K-Pop Idol Concerts

China's state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) is planning to invite K-Pop idol groups to hold large-scale Sino-Korean collaborative concerts in six major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, in the latter half of this year. This marks the first time in nine years that a state-run broadcaster has directly initiated a large-scale tour featuring K-Pop idol groups since the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) incident.

According to No Cut News on the 2nd, a Korean concert planning company in Beijing received an official document from CCTV regarding "cooperation permission for the Sino-Korean joint concert project in the second half of 2025."

CCTV stated that this project aims to promote cultural exchange and friendly relations between the two countries through deep cooperation with Korean K-Pop artists.

The concerts are set to take place in stadiums that can accommodate around 30,000 spectators in six cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, and Chengdu.

The Korean concert planning company reported that the list of K-Pop male idol groups includes BTS, Seventeen, and Stray Kids. They also mentioned that the event specifies broadcasting rights, making it highly likely that the concerts will be live-streamed or recorded and aired through CCTV.

If this joint concert project is realized, it would essentially mean the lifting of the Korean Wave ban (Hanryong), which is expected to have significant repercussions. Recently, the provincial government of Fujian in China granted permission for a concert by the K-Pop idol group iEPEK, raising expectations for the lifting of the ban. Additionally, Korean rapper groups and trot singer Yoon Soo-hyun have also performed in China.

Although not officially acknowledged by Chinese authorities, since the onset of the THAAD situation, the Hanryong has restricted performances by Korean pop singers and appearances of entertainers on TV. However, the atmosphere has begun to change recently, and with the possibility of President Xi Jinping visiting Korea, it is seen as a signal for the lifting of the Hanryong.

Image Source: The official document sent by CCTV to the Korean concert planning company regarding the invitation for the K-Pop idol group joint concert project. / CCTV, iEPEK / News1