Brandon Valeriano, Ph.D., a new professor in the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, and graduate student Khalifah Muhammad, also in the School of Diplomacy and International
Relations worked together to analyze the choice of China to ban K-pop and other Korean
exports in “When China Banned Korean Boy Bands” in the professional international
affairs site The Diplomat. The article reviews when China opted for unorthodox targets to coerce the South Korean government
to move away from the deployment of the THAAD missile system. The Chinese government
restricted the domestic consumption of Korean media like K-Pop groups and Korean Dramas,
why?
Missile defense platforms are becoming the system of the year after Israel and its
allies virtually eliminated the nearly 400 projectiles launched by Iran in April of
2024. Muhammad and Valeriano note the missile defense system that led to a response
from China:
After the 2016 missile tests from North Korea highlighting increasing range and capability
of their ballistic missile system, the South Korean government took steps to protect
themselves from any potential attacks from their northern neighbors. This led to the
agreement and eventual deployment of the U.S. THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense)
system in late 2017 just under 150 miles south of the capital city, Seoul.
THAAD’s mobility and ability to increase its radar to 2,000 km gives South Korea a
superior and unparalleled asset to protect their territory. With the U.S. giving South
Korea the THAAD capability, China’s first- and second-strike options are limited,
if not eliminated. This curbs China’s ability to threaten and coerce its regional
rival.
They continue, recognizing the unique approach that China felt would lead Korea to
give up the deployment of THAAD:
An orthodox threat sometimes requires an unorthodox response…For China, this meant
taking matters into their own hands by banning performances of K-pop artists in the
country as well as barring the showing of any Korean television content without proper
prior approval. China also restricted imports from large Korean cosmetic companies
and video game providers. This in turn would not only hurt South Korean exports but
also cause the domestic Chinese opinions of Korean products and celebrities to decrease
dramatically.
Muhammad and Valeriano conclude by pointing out the importance of recognizing soft
power as a serious instrument of state power:
Chinese politicians understand that soft power could be an effective route toward
coercion. The problem is that they do not have current exportable domestic entertainment
like K-pop to proliferate globally…We can debate endlessly the capabilities of new
missile defense systems and hypersonic launch options to defeat these advances, or
we can focus on the true power in this world: boys who wear makeup. While flippant,
such statements represent the true reality of international politics.
Finally, Korea did not give up on THAAD and more importantly, K-pop went global with
groups like BTS, Twice, Blackpink, and recently, NewJeans gaining global fame after
China cut off its domestic markets. Sometimes the punishment backfires, drastically.
Categories:
Nation and World
