South Korea's HYBE And China's Tencent Sign Music Distribution Agreement

The South Korean entertainment company HYBE, which is home to K-pop superstars BTS, has reached a music distribution deal with China's Tencent, according to the Seoul Economic Daily newspaper, quoting a HYBE executive.

According to the article, the partnership will make HYBE artists' songs available on streaming services operated by China's Tencent songs, such as QQ Music, Kugou, and Kuwo.

South Korea's pop music business, known as K-pop, has grown in global prominence in recent years, led by the likes of BTS and Blackpink.

However, due to Beijing's unofficial restriction on South Korean content, South Korean entertainment companies have found it difficult to join the Chinese market recently.

Relations between the two nations deteriorated in 2017 after South Korea installed a THAAD system, a U.S. missile defence shield designed to confront North Korea's increasing missile threats.

THAAD's powerful radar, Beijing claimed, could see into its skies, prompting a dramatic decrease in commerce and cultural imports from South Korea.