Fears are growing in South Korea that China’s love affair with its vibrant pop culture is on the wane amid rising tensions between the two countries over Seoul’s planned deployment of a US anti-ballistic missile system.

在韩国，越来越多的人们担心中国对韩国活跃的流行文化的喜爱开始降温，原因是两国围绕韩国政府计划部署美国反弹道导弹系统的紧张关系日益加剧。

Concern over the country’s popular cultural exports — known across Asia as the Korean Wave or Hallyu — has increased in recent weeks.

最近几周，对韩国流行文化出口的担忧日益强烈。在整个亚洲，韩国流行文化的出口被称为韩流(Korean Wave)。

A number of Korean actors and singers cancelled promotional events in China — Korea’s largest export destination for its dramas, music and films — “for reasons beyond their control”. The moves have prompted sharp falls in shares in leading Korean entertainment companies.

多位韩国演员和歌手“出于超出其控制范围的原因”，取消了在中国的宣传推广活动。中国是韩国电视剧、音乐和电影最大的出口目的地。这些活动的取消，导致韩国领先娱乐公司股价大跌。

“I’ve seen signs of our cultural exports facing a barrier in China as provincial governments and private companies try to read Beijing’s mind, although there has been no direct order from Beijing to block bilateral cultural exchanges,” said Kim Jae-hong, vice-chairman of the state-run Korea Communications Commission.

由韩国政府运营的韩国广播通信委员会(Korea Communications Commission, KCC)副主席Kim Jae-hong表示：“我看到有迹象显示，我们的文化出口在中国面临障碍，原因是中国各省政府和民企试图解读中央政府的意志——尽管北京方面并未直接下令封杀双边文化交流。”

The concerns come as China’s state-run media continue to warn that Beijing could launch economic retaliation against South Korea over its decision last month to deploy the terminal high-altitude air defence platform, or Thaad, despite China’s strong opposition.

这些担忧情绪出现之际，中国官方媒体还在继续发出警告，表示针对韩国上月不顾中国强烈反对部署“末段高空区域防御系统”（THAAD，简称：萨德）的决定，中国政府可能会发动经济报复。

“It is certain that the Korean Wave or Hallyu will inevitably feel the chill in China if Seoul sticks to the Thaad deployment, further intensifying political tensions in the bilateral relationship,” China’s Global Times said last week. “By then, there will be no need for any official order as TV stations that broadcast South Korean dramas will be resisted by Chinese citizens.”

中国《环球时报》(Global Times)上周表示：“但是可以肯定的是，如果韩国执意推进部署萨德的进程，导致中韩政治关系持续紧张，韩流在中国遭重挫将是必然发生的。恐怕用不着官方下什么指令，顶风播韩剧的电视台就将被网民的唾沫淹没。”

Last weekend, two Korean actors, Kim Woo-bin and Bae Suzy, who co-star in the popular Korean soap opera Uncontrollably Fond, had to postpone an appearance in China at the last minute, while two popular Korean bands have cancelled appearances on Chinese TV shows and at promotional events.

上周末，曾联合主演高人气韩剧《任意依恋》(Uncontrollably Fond)的两名韩国演员金宇彬(Kim Woo-bin)和裴秀智(Bae Suzy)，不得不在最后关头推迟了在中国的出场。与此同时，两支高人气韩国乐队也已取消了在中国电视节目和宣传活动的出场。

Talent agencies YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment have seen their share prices slide by more than 15 per cent over the past month, while CJ E & M, the country’s biggest entertainment producer, has lost 8.6 per cent of its market value.

在过去一个月里，经纪公司YG娱乐(YG Entertainment)、SM娱乐(SM Entertainment)及JYP娱乐(JYP Entertainment)的股价下滑逾15%，而韩国最大的娱乐业制作商CJ E&M市值缩水8.6%。

Tourism businesses are also concerned about the potential impact of the Thaad deployment. China has recently toughened visa rules for Korean business people and Beijing has cancelled the licence of a visa broker that specialised in assisting Koreans with applications.

旅游企业也担心韩国部署“萨德”带来的潜在影响。中国最近对韩国商务人士收紧了签证规则，北京方面还吊销了一家专门帮助韩国人申请签证的签证中介机构的执照。

Last month, China’s Qingdao city government cancelled its participation in a Korean food festival, citing the “ill timing given the current diplomatic atmosphere”.

上月，中国青岛市政府取消了参加一个韩国美食节的行程，理由是“考虑到当前的外交氛围，时机不合适”。

Wang Junsheng, a north-east Asia studies expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Science, said: “Chinese society’s positive attitude towards South Korea is the base for the Korean Wave. The deployment of Thaad destroys this affection base.”

中国社科院(CASS)东北亚研究专家王俊生表示：“中国社会对于韩国的积极态度是韩流的基础。部署‘萨德’摧毁了这种感情基础。”