‘Hope on the Stage’: China, South Korea move closer amid Trump tariffs

The US’ tariff threats have raised hopes in Beijing that it can convince Seoul to move forward with an ambitious new trade deal

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Published: 6:00am, 23 Mar 2025

When Vivian Wu, a university student from Shanghai, planned a trip to Seoul to attend a concert in BTS band member J-Hope’s Hope on the Stage tour in early March, many of her family and friends urged her to reconsider.

It was only two months after the deadly Jeju Air plane crash and street protests were still taking place across the South Korean capital following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol.

But Wu insisted on going – and she was not alone. Snatches of Chinese conversation could be heard all along the winding queue to enter the KSPO Dome, where BTS member J-Hope was performing.

“I’ve read news that China may open wider to K-pop stars,” said Wu, while raising a glow stick to pose for a photo outside the stadium. “I hope it’s true. Cultural exchanges are key to bilateral relations.”

Diehard K-pop fans like Wu – alongside businesspeople – represent the most resilient bond between the two East Asian countries, whose relations stand at a crossroads after a turbulent few years punctuated by political flare-ups.

China and South Korea maintain close economic ties – with trade and investment flows worth hundreds of billions of dollars annually – but relations have been strained due to the United States’ heavy military presence and deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea.

Analysts, however, predict the return of US President Donald Trump could bring the two countries closer together, with both countries facing threats of American tariffs. There is even a chance Beijing and Seoul might upgrade their 10-year-old bilateral free trade deal and push forward with the economic integration of East Asia.