It was thought that Chinese fans wouldn’t be able to view the drama due to a Chinese ban on the Korean wave amid tensions between the two countries. But a sudden reversal of policy on Thursday may cause the ban to be lifted.
In Korea – and the rest of Asia – Song Hye Kyo is big. Really big.
For more than a decade, she’s been an icon in Korea and Asia, and among Koreans living outside their home nation in the U.S., Europe and worldwide.
Now, rumors are swirling that she may star in a Korean version of the mega-hit Sex in the City – the Hollywood story of the ups and downs of a group of young women in New York searching for love and romance in modern times. The show resonates in countries worldwide, as it hits on a number of modern themes. Those include young women balancing love and careers, and searching for that special someone in a massive, modern city, where people fall in with groups of friends that function as support systems when family is far away.
Song Hye kyo has not confirmed the rumors, but anything she touches has the potential to become a smash hit, as the actress has graced Asian TV and movie screens for over a decade and still maintains a loyal fan base.
It was previously thought that Chinese fans would lose their chance to view the upcoming drama amid tensions with Korea. The row stems from Korea’s previous plans to place the THAAD system – a U.S. missile defense system – within the country at a time when North Korea is acting aggressively. Beijing maintained the system would allow Washington to more easily monitor China and get access to classified information. China has responded with a series of sanctions, including banning Korean music and movies – known as the Korean wave or Hallyu.
But now Korea has shelved plans to deploy the system – at least for now – and the question is whether China will lift the Hallyu ban and allow Chinese fans to view Korean entertainment once again.
Song’s Hye Kyo’s recent smash hit drama, Descendants of the Sun, gained instant popularity in China with younger viewers and millennials. At this time last year, the drama had been viewed 2 billion times on China’s streaming platform iQiyi.
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