China is set to release first Korean film in six years, indicating end of boycott

The last Korean film to be released in Chinese theatres was ‘The Assassination’ in 2015

2020 Korean film Oh! My Gran (EonTalk)

After almost six years, Chinese theatres are set to screen a Korean movie this Friday, ending a boycott imposed by Beijing on films from the Asian nation.

The move is being seen as an indication that the relation between the two countries is on the mend. The last Korean film to be released in Chinese theatres was The Assassination in 2015.

In 2016, when Seoul deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence US missile defence system, China expressed its resentment by blocking Korean content.

Official posters showed that Chinese cinemas will run the 2020 comedy Oh! My Gran on Friday (3 December), according to Variety.

Oh! My Gran trailer

Oh! My Gran revolves around the story of Du-won’s daughter Bo-mi, who gets into a hit-and-run accident. The witnesses of the accident are Bo-mi’s grandmother Moon-hee and her dog Aengja, but Moon-hee has Alzheimer’s disease.

Therefore, along with her mother, Du-won goes to every corner of the town of Geumsan to catch the culprit.

“We evaluate [the movie’s release] as positive progress,” a foreign ministry official from Seoul said. “We have delivered our opinions concerning cultural content to the Chinese side on various occasions, and hope the consultations could bring about more positive actions.”

Last month, China’s cyberspace regulator revealed that it will regulate the online presence of celebrities. This move was an attempt to create “a positive and healthy internet environment” which will include the regulation of stars’ personal information, and advertisements on various sites online.