Korea and China's top broadcaster sign major deal to revive popular music exchange

In what could be a major breakthrough for cultural relations, South Korea's national broadcaster KBS has signed a major partnership deal with China Media Group (CMG), China's largest state-run media conglomerate.

The comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on November 1 in Gyeongju during the APEC summit. The agreement is seen as a pivotal step toward officially reopening broadcast exchanges between the two countries, which have been largely frozen since 2016.

Under the new deal, KBS and CMG have agreed to cooperate on media content, including news and sports, as well as collaborate on new technology and digital services.

Most excitingly for music fans, KBS has announced plans to actively push for major cultural exchange programs. A key focus is the revival of the 'Korea-China Song Festival.' The annual festival, which began in 1999, was a major event for promoting friendship and featured famous singers from both nations; even President Xi Jinping's wife, Peng Liyuan, once performed at the event. In addition to reviving this historic festival, KBS also aims to bring its 'Music Bank World Tour' to China and organize a performance by the KBS Symphony Orchestra in Beijing.

Park Jang Beom, the president of KBS, emphasized the significance of the agreement, stating, "This MOU is more than just a simple cooperation between media organizations; it is a signal flare that will accelerate the return of Korean cultural content and popular music to China."

The South Korean government also expressed high hopes for the agreement. National Security Advisor Wi Sung Lac stated, "We expect this will contribute to strengthening exchange and cooperation in the media sector between our two countries and narrowing the emotional distance between our peoples."

CMG is a media giant in China, operating 51 TV channels, 22 radio channels, and numerous new media platforms, making this partnership a potentially game-changing development for the Korean entertainment industry.