K-pop boy group EPEX, composed of Korean members, will hold a concert in mainland China in May. This marks the first performance in China in 9 years since the 2016 Hallyu ban. According to their agency C9 Entertainment on the 29th, EPEX (Wish, Keum Donghyun, Mu, A-Min, Baek Seung, Aiden, Yewang, Jeff) will host a solo concert titled ‘Youth Deficiency in Fuzhou’ at the ‘MAAQUU X CH8 Livehouse’ located in Fuzhou, China on May 31st, 2025. The concert, as reported by the agency, will accommodate an audience of 1000 seats. EPEX, a K-pop group with all Korean members, is performing in China for the first time. C9 Entertainment expressed their joy, stating, “EPEX has emerged as a new leader in the Chinese K-pop Hallyu scene, crossing the continent’s borders for the first time.” In China, local governments approve concerts by foreign musicians. Up until now, it has mainly been foreign Korean singers who have received approval from local government cultural bureaus to hold concerts. However, with the realization of a concert by a Korean K-pop idol group in mainland China, industry insiders are expressing expectations that large-scale K-pop concerts may soon become possible. NCT’s Wish recently visited Shanghai for promotions and attracted a lot of attention with over 60 media outlets attending a press conference held locally. IU’s IU Fall graced the cover of a Chinese fashion magazine solo. On the 21st, over 4,000 people flocked to the NCT Mark’s first solo album ‘The First Fruit’ pop-up store in Jingdong Mall, Guangzhou, China. Singer and actor Kim Jaejoong held a fan meeting in Chongqing, China this month, energized by hopes for the lifting of the Hallyu ban. An industry insider well-versed in Chinese affairs stated, “The demand for Hallyu in China remains high. K-pop singers are currently targeting Hallyu fans in China by holding concerts in Hong Kong and Macau instead of mainland China,” adding, “If a large-scale K-pop concert is realized even once in mainland China, it is expected to lead to concerts being held in other regions in the future like a butterfly effect.”