Under THAAD, no South Korean entertainment

Society & Culture

Top society and culture news for March 2, 2017. Part of the daily The China Projectย news roundup "Donโ€™t meet Trump until 'his head is covered with bumps' โ€” PLA adviser"


  • China blocks Korean entertainment on streaming platforms over THAAD rowย / Billboard
    China has reportedly blocked access to the latest South Korea music and dramas on the countryโ€™s online video-sharing platforms. The move is widely seen as part of Chinaโ€™s retaliatory actions against South Korea, which plans to install a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system near Seoul. In January, concerts by South Korean soprano Sumi Jo, which were to take place in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in February, were canceled. On Tuesday, a China foreign ministry spokesperson was asked if the block on video platforms was in retaliation for the THAAD installation. His replyย (in Chinese): โ€œChina always has a clear and consistent position on THAAD. In response to the specific circumstances you mentioned, I personally donโ€™t watch South Korean drama or entertainment. I canโ€™t answer.โ€ Chinese social media eruptedย with various reactions. Some netizens welcomed the decision, with one comment reading, โ€œNational interests first. I voluntarily boycott South Korean entertainment.โ€ Others, however, questioned โ€œwhy the public should be denied entertainment access because of a political crisis.โ€