S.Korean entertainment firm JYP applauded for clearly indicating Taiwan island as province of China on fans app
By Published: Apr 10, 2025 12:40 PM
Chinese fans welcomed the move by South Korean entertainment company JYP Entertainment to clearly indicate Taiwan as a province of China on its fan app, which became a trending topic on Chinese social media on Thursday.
Sohu TV's channel on South Korean entertainment information posted Thursday on its account on Sina Weibo that JYP's fan community platform - the "Fans" app - had listed Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China." The report included two screenshots showing search results for "China" in both English and Chinese, with Taiwan island appearing under the label "Province of China" in both cases.
The Global Times reporter switched the app's language settings to English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, and Japanese, and in all versions, the search results displayed "Taiwan, Province of China."
JYP Entertainment has not responded to the interview inquiry from the Global Times as of press time.
The topic, under the hashtag "JYP labeling China's Taiwan Province," became one of the top-trending discussions on Sina Weibo Thursday morning, garnering over 87 million views as of press time. Many fans of JYP's artists praised the move, saying the company had shown respect for the truth and that taking the correct stance on matters of principle would benefit their idols' careers.
Some Chinese netizens who are not fans of K-pop also applauded JYP's clear position on the Taiwan question. While a few speculated whether the move was part of a market strategy, many others noted that a firm stance on this issue would help the company win goodwill in China.
JYP Entertainment had previously faced controversy over Taiwan-related issues. In 2016, Chou Tzu-yu, a 16-year-old member of the K-pop group TWICE, waved a "Taiwan flag" on a South Korean TV show. She was accused by fans of supporting "Taiwan independence." The incident sparked widespread backlash against both Chou and JYP Entertainment. Chou later apologized in a video.
Sohu TV's channel on South Korean entertainment information posted Thursday on its account on Sina Weibo that JYP's fan community platform - the "Fans" app - had listed Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China." The report included two screenshots showing search results for "China" in both English and Chinese, with Taiwan island appearing under the label "Province of China" in both cases.
The Global Times reporter switched the app's language settings to English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Spanish, and Japanese, and in all versions, the search results displayed "Taiwan, Province of China."
JYP Entertainment has not responded to the interview inquiry from the Global Times as of press time.
The topic, under the hashtag "JYP labeling China's Taiwan Province," became one of the top-trending discussions on Sina Weibo Thursday morning, garnering over 87 million views as of press time. Many fans of JYP's artists praised the move, saying the company had shown respect for the truth and that taking the correct stance on matters of principle would benefit their idols' careers.
Some Chinese netizens who are not fans of K-pop also applauded JYP's clear position on the Taiwan question. While a few speculated whether the move was part of a market strategy, many others noted that a firm stance on this issue would help the company win goodwill in China.
JYP Entertainment had previously faced controversy over Taiwan-related issues. In 2016, Chou Tzu-yu, a 16-year-old member of the K-pop group TWICE, waved a "Taiwan flag" on a South Korean TV show. She was accused by fans of supporting "Taiwan independence." The incident sparked widespread backlash against both Chou and JYP Entertainment. Chou later apologized in a video.
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