The EPEX group will soon give an important concert to Fuzhou, in continental China. It will be the first solo concert of a 100 % Korean K-Pop group in almost nine years.
The event will take place on May 31, as confirmed by agency C9 Entertainment on April 29. The concert is called “Youth Chapter: 1 in Fuzhou” and is part of a tour launched in December in Seoul.
Like the previous concerts in Macao and Taipei, that of Fuzhou advances their tour. The most striking is that no fully Korean group had given solo concert in mainland China since 2016.
That year, China reacted to the deployment of the Thaad system in South Korea. This American device, created by Lockheed Martin, is used to intercept ballistic missiles.
China had therefore launched an unofficial ban on Korean culture on its territory. Because of this ban, the K-Pop and the K-Dramas had disappeared from the Chinese media.
Only a few foreign K-Pop artists still had the right to appear on television. But no group composed only of Korean members had been able to do a solo concert in China.
In recent months, the situation is slowly about changing. At the end of last year, The Black Skirts made a concert in China.
-The Hip-Hop Homies group has also shot in several Chinese cities. And more recently, singer and actor Kim Jae Joong organized a fanmeeting in Chongqing.
C9 Entertainment said: “As a group of idols composed only of Korean members, Epex crosses the borders of the Chinese continental market and stands out as a new leader in the renewal of K-POP in China. »»
EPEX members have always been close to their Chinese fans. Earlier this year, they gave interviews and made signing sessions in Shanghai and Chengdu.
This concert in Fuzhou will not be a simple fanmeeting. It is a real large -scale concert, which makes it even more important.
Middle professionals hope that this concert will change things. One of them says: “The Chinese market door for concerts for K-Pop stars may finally be reopening. »»
But despite this hope, caution remains important for the music industry. For the moment, the big stars like J-Hope of BTS, Seventeen, Zerobaseone and Kai of Exo do not yet go to continental China. They prefer to organize their concerts in Macao, which remains more accessible for Korean artists.
Sector specialists also explain: “The real lifting of the ban will especially depend on the official authorization to organize large -scale concerts, in rooms that can accommodate between 10,000 and 20,000 spectators. »»
