Say Sue Me on practically chipping away at China’s ‘Hallyu ban’
In July, indie rockers Say Sue Me had been resulting from play a present in Beijing: a live performance that may have chipped away at China’s well-known years-long ‘Hallyu ban’ on leisure and popular culture from South Korea. But it surely wasn’t to be – in an unique interview with NME, frontwoman Choi Sumi spoke concerning the allow withdrawal that foiled them, and their enduring need to succeed in their Chinese language followers sometime.
On June 20, the indie rock band from Busan revealed that they’d efficiently utilized for a allow to play their first present in Beijing the next month, just for Chinese language authorities to withdraw permission for the present to happen simply because the band had been gearing as much as announce it. “We thought {that a} heat breeze was coming within the chilly, nevertheless it’s such a disgrace,” they wrote on Instagram – an indirect reference to how they might have helped finish China’s unofficial ‘Hallyu ban’, or prohibition on Korean leisure and popular culture, which has lasted about seven years.
The Hallyu ban has its roots in geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Seoul, particularly a year-long standoff over the USA’s deployment of a missile defence system on Korean soil in 2016. As The Diplomat reported in 2023, this ban manifested within the prohibition of recent funding by South Korean leisure businesses, performances by idol teams and cooperation for Okay-drama and Okay-variety tasks.
Whereas China has by no means formally acknowledged the Hallyu ban, the sudden disappearance of South Korean popular culture within the nation was clear to see. The final Okay-pop act to carry a live performance in mainland China was boyband Massive Bang in 2015, whereas the Okay-dramas that after swept Chinese language audiences off their toes had been now not allowed to air on tv.
In recent times, although, there have been hopeful indicators that the Hallyu ban is being loosened. Authorities officers have held diplomatic visits just like the 2021-2022 Cultural Exchange Year initiative, which greenlit a number of tasks selling human and cultural trade, and a South Korean movie was made accessible on a Chinese OTT platform in 2022. Okay-pop woman teams like LE SSERAFIM and (G)I-DLE held fansign occasions in China in 2023, and acts like NewJeans and CNBLUE’s Jong Yong-hwa have performed so this yr. In Might, the Korean soprano Jo Sumi carried out at Beijing’s Nationwide Centre for the Performing Arts – seven years after her concerts in the country were cancelled, within the shadow of the Beijing-Seoul anti-missile system standoff.
Say Sue Me had been among the many South Korean entertainers feeling optimistic about lastly performing for his or her Chinese language followers. “Yearly, we hear rumours that the ‘Hallyu ban’ goes to finish quickly, so we determined to present it a attempt,” Choi informed NME. When the band met a promoter from Beijing at a showcase pageant in Tokyo final yr who “expressed his need to organise a present for us as the primary rock band [to perform in China] after the Hallyu ban,” they jumped on the alternative. (Choi declined to call the promoter, citing privateness considerations.)
Say Sue Me utilized for the allow to carry out in China by way of their agent, Choi stated. “We despatched some paperwork, together with setlists for the present, lyrics and explanations of the music meanings – one thing I’ve by no means performed earlier than for a visa allow in different international locations.” They had been profitable: “After we heard we received the allow, we had been fairly stunned and enthusiastic about the truth that we might lastly be performing in mainland China.”
Although the band had but to make an official announcement, information {that a} South Korean act had obtained permission to carry out in China rapidly unfold in each international locations, even turning into one of many prime 10 search subjects on Chinese language social media app Weibo in late May. In the meantime, South Korean news outlets began speculating that the top of the Hallyu ban was on the horizon.
A month out from the Beijing present, Say Sue Me had been hit by the information that their allow to carry out had been cancelled with out rationalization. Although the band had been stunned, they weren’t fully shocked. “We felt it might occur,” stated Choi.
As for why the allow was revoked, Say Sue Me stay at nighttime – although they marvel if the media consideration had an element to play. “Folks reacted to the information a couple of Korean band getting a allow to carry out, so we’re simply guessing they don’t need the thrill,” Choi surmised.
She added that the band are nonetheless in search of methods to succeed in their viewers in China. “We’ll simply preserve attempting. It’s a little bit of a disgrace, however we imagine that the obstacles will disappear sometime,” she stated. “Maybe we should always create an account on Weibo?”
Although Say Sue Me had made some merchandise for the present, Choi stated there have been no monetary or logistical repercussions to the cancellation. The hard-touring band are not any strangers to the difficulties of taking part in overseas: in 2022 they cancelled a North American tour (already postponed as soon as as a result of pandemic) as “we simply couldn’t make a tour funds work sufficient that it will not overwhelm us with monetary hardship”. Earlier that yr, they’d been pressured to tug out of Japan’s Fuji Rock Competition resulting from a band member contracting COVID-19.
The cancelled Beijing live performance, Choi stated, is only one of many issues which are out of their management. “I is perhaps too optimistic, nevertheless it doesn’t appear probably that these setbacks would change my views on touring a lot. What issues most is our dedication.”
Within the meantime, the four-piece are turning their consideration to the follow-up to their 2022 studio album ‘The Final Factor Left’ in addition to different upcoming performances. “We’re engaged on new music, however progress is gradual,” Choi shared, including that they’ve already began previewing a few of their new materials at current exhibits. “We’ll be taking part in at just a few festivals in Korea this yr, and planning to go on a brief tour in Japan this autumn.” As for Say Sue Me’s followers in China, she shares a hopeful message: “Be protected and wholesome, if that’s the case, we’ll meet sometime!”