Will K-Pop be Affected by the 'Dokdo Crisis'?

Sports Chosun conducted a survey with 10 entertainment officials with artists who are currently active in Japan. They asked the question of "Will the 'Dokdo crisis' affect K-Pop?" 

6 Out of 10 Officials Say it won't Affect K-Pop

6 out of the 10 officials believed that this crisis would not affect K-Pop. They believed that because Dokdo is a government issue, it won't affect cultural aspects such as K-Pop.

One official commented, "The Dokdo situation is always up and down. It just so happens that this time around it's been talked about a bit, making it more of an issue."

On the other hand, 4 officials believed that it did have an affect on K-Pop. 

When asked if groups that have already debuted in Japan vs. rookie teams would have more of an affect with this situation, 20% believed that the teams that have already debuted would have a harder time, while 40% believed that the rookie groups would.

One official commented, "Teams that have already set up concerts and events in Japan may have more of an affect due to fans canceling their tickets. This would in turn lower the group's chance of doing more promotions in Japan."

If the K-Pop market goes down due to this crisis, it will not only affect Japan but the world as a whole.

No Changes to Japan Schedule...but Too Early To Call its Safe

Officials say that K-Pop is still heating up all over the world. Even with the 'Dokdo crisis', tickets are being sold for K-Pop events and concerts. 

An official commented, "K-Pop has continuously made new groups and have grown very big due to the international fans. Even with this crisis, it probably will not make a huge impact on the K-Pop scene right now."

There has not been any major changes to K-Pop group's schedules due to this crisis.

However, it is too early to call it safe. If the government gets into this, there could be some problems for the K-Pop industry.