When China banned all South Korean entertainers to hold fan meets in the country as reprisal for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), “Descendants of the Sun” actor Song Joong-ki had finished all his fan meets in China.
The ban was immediately felt in the industry. Besides banning the holding of fan meets, China also prohibited co-productions between Chinese and South Korean media companies because of THAAD.
Inquisitr reported that the fan meet of “Uncontrollably Fond” actors Kim Woo-Bin and Bae Suzy in China was cancelled. It did not only hit the actors but also the entertainment companies. On Tuesday, the stock price of YG Entertainment went down almost 9 percent, hitting a 52-week low of 33,800 won. Likewise, SM Entertainment suffered a year-low shareprice of 27,650 won, according to Variety.
Contracts with Hallyu stars have also been nullified, reported KPopHerald. While Song Joong-ki has received a lot of offers to do Chinese dramas, movies and commercials, Blossom Entertainment, his agency, has not confirmed any of the offers, so Chinese authorities have no contract to cancel insofar as the “Descendants of the Sun” actor is concerned.
The representative of Song Joong-ki said the actor is not banned in China, however, whether Chinese authorities would honor their word remains to be seen if he would be allowed to enter the country to promote products he is endorsing.
But the new movie that the actor is shooting, “Battleship Island,” could be affected because the ban could extend not only to live appearances but also Korean-made movies and TV shows which enjoy a wide audience and good box office returns in China.
To prepare for his role in "Battleship Island," Song Joong-ki got the services of a personal fitness trainer, Danny Joe. He revealed that the actor trained with him for two weeks, reported Soompi.
