China is strictly imposing its ban on all things Korean. This is after the U.S. confirmed that they will be installing an anti-missile defense system in South Korea, named THAAD.
Now, the K-pop industry is surely seen to be in possible shambles. However, it seems like that is not the case for these sensational Korean idols. According to Soompi, almost all Chinese TV stations have cancelled all Korean TV series and dramas. Even autograph signings were cancelled suddenly.
Reports even suggest that the Chinese government will give fines to K-pop gigs and concerts that push through despite the warning. Because of this, the K-pop industry is experiencing a massive slowdown in sales, as China is one of its main market.
Even though K-pop stars are innocent victims of China and South Korean diplomatic relations, they are still getting the hang of it. However, the opposite thing seems to be happening with EXO, BTS and TWICE.
This is because they are experiencing massive success in their music sales charts, as well as the increasing profits that they get from their merchandise products. One example of this is the Frensh fashion brand, Agatha Paris.
The French brand has just launched a suitcase that draws inspiration from EXO. The price of the suitcase is said to be $303 or 350,000 Korean Won. Despite the high price, the EXO suitcases were suddenly sold out as soon as it was launched.
According to Digital Music News, BTS has also released their own hand cream. Its debut in the market was last Feb. 28. It has also been confirmed that the group will be releasing their own signature backpack that features a portable suitcase.
Then there's the collaboration of TWICE with LF Electronics in bringing a Bluetooth speaker that is aimed at its male fans. For people who pre-order the product, they receive an autographed and signed CD. Reports say that just after 50 minutes after the pre-ordering opened, the product was immediately sold out.
With this, one can see that the K-pop industry is still pretty well and it's up and running, despite China's aims at slowing down its growth. K-pop is indeed a worldwide phenomenon.
