The five reasons the official listed on his personal Weibo account pointed to China‘s need to first protect and foster its own entertainment industry, and second to “limit abnormal contents that portray men in overly soft ways.”

This is the only known written record of China’s apparent ban on Korean entertainment contents and actors on its turf.

(Read also: Korean dramas escape to fantasy)

Regardless of the ostensible reasons, the more popular understanding is that the Chinese government is flexing its muscle to express displeasure at the US’ Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system deployment on the Korean Peninsula.

THAAD can detect and shoot down short, medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles mid-flight.

While the US and Korea argue THAAD serves as a countermeasure to North Korea’s increasing provocations, China sees it as a threat to its own national security.

On Nov. 16, the Korean government reached the conclusion to secure the land of the Lotte Skyhill Country Club and surrounding area in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, for the THAAD deployment site.

Popular

The fragile promise of pluralism, religious freedom in Southeast Asia

Furniture exporters decry new quarantine rule

BRICS shows internal rifts as ministers fall short of joint statement