Boy band EPEX will hold a solo concert in China on May 31, marking the first time in nine years for a K-pop act to hold a solo concert in the country.

EPEX's concert will be held at the Maaquu X CH8 Livehouse in Fuzhou on May 31 at 7:30 p.m. It will be EPEX's first performance in China ever since its debut in 2021.


This is the first time since 2016 for China to allow a solo concert to take place from a K-pop group comprised of all Korean nationals. Beijing had placed an unofficial ban on Korean culture and products in retaliation to Seoul’s deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system — or Thaad — in 2016.

There have been signs of China warming up to Korea with K-pop singers opening small pop-up stores or individual singers holding small-sized concerts, but a K-pop group concert in a separate venue holds great significance for the two countries' cultural diplomacy.

EPEX members have been actively communicating with their Chinese fans ever since the band's debut. They held album-signing events in Shanghai and Qingdao in January.

EPEX debuted in 2021 with its EP, "Bipolar Pt.1: Prelude of Anxiety." It completed the "Bipolar" album series with its second EP, "Bipolar Pt.2: Prelude of Love," released in October 2021.

The band will release a collaboration single titled "no nice" with U.S. pop duo Joan on May 6.

EPEX is currently on its Asia tour that began in Seoul last December. The tour continued with concerts in Japan in March and will be followed by events in Macau on May 3 and Taiwan on May 24.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]