The planned concert of the boy group iKON in China has been canceled. The concert, titled “Youth Deficiency,” which was scheduled to be held in Fuzhou, China on the 31st, has been postponed due to local circumstances, according to their agency C9 Entertainment on the 9th.
The agency stated, “We are discussing the changed concert schedule and venue, and will announce it again once it is confirmed,” without mentioning specific reasons for the postponement.
Expectations for the relaxation of the Hallyu ban have been rising in the entertainment industry recently. There has been a significant increase in album exports to China, and groups like TWICE, EXO, and NCT have held fan signing events and press conferences locally. The trio group HOMME, composed of Korean members, held a spring tour in Wuhan, Hubei Province. In September, a “Dream Concert” featuring a large number of K-pop idols is scheduled to take place in Hainan with an audience of 40,000.
However, industry insiders are considering the hosting of concerts with over 10,000 seats as a benchmark for the lifting of the Hallyu ban. While iKON’s concert was attended by about 1,000 people, it was significant as a solo concert by a K-pop idol group.
The artist IP (Intellectual Property) solution specialist company Nomus, which collaborated on iKON’s China concert, gave meaning to the event by saying, “This is Nomus’ first entry into the Chinese market, a stepping stone that can be expanded through various artist activities.” They also mentioned, “We have received additional collaboration inquiries for entering China from various artists besides iKON.” Unfortunately, they will have to wait for another day.
Recently, there have been reports that China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV is planning a large-scale joint performance in six major Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Fuzhou, inviting a large number of K-pop idols in the second half of the year. However, CCTV refuted the reports, saying, “It is not true. We do not have such plans.”