The return of Korean cultural collaboration in China marks more than a comeback in entertainment. The launch of ONECEAD — a joint venture by CJ ENM, JYP China, and Tencent Music Entertainment — shows how Korea’s policy-driven reopening with China is creating a new path for K-content startups and creative IP ecosystems to expand across Asia.

CJ ENM, JYP, and Tencent Launch ONECEAD in Greater China

On February 2, CJ ENM announced the creation of ONECEAD, a new joint venture with JYP China and Tencent Music Entertainment (TME) through NCC Entertainment, a subsidiary formed by JYP and TME.

The partnership aims to establish a self-sustaining intellectual property (IP) ecosystem — handling everything from artist development and production to distribution and global commerce.

The name ONECEAD merges CJ ENM’s vision of being the “Only One” with JYP’s mission to lead entertainment innovation, symbolizing a united effort to cultivate the next generation of global creators.

CJ ENM previously launched LAPONE Entertainment in Japan, producing successful groups such as JO1 and INI. ONECEAD follows a similar model, combining CJ ENM’s production expertise with Tencent’s local digital infrastructure and JYP’s artist management know-how to target China and broader Asian markets.

The venture’s first project is MODYSSEY, a seven-member boy group formed through Mnet Plus’s global audition show “Planet C: Homrace.” Members, including Heng Yu and Pan Zheyi, will debut across Chinese-speaking markets and global platforms, with ONECEAD overseeing all aspects of music, performance, merchandising, and content IP operations.

CJ ENM, JYP, and Tencent: Reopening of a Once-Closed Market

This partnership would not have been possible a few years ago. Since 2016, Korea’s entertainment exports were informally restricted in China following the THAAD dispute, blocking K-pop concerts, TV appearances, and cultural distribution.

The policy thaw seen throughout late 2025 and early 2026 — marked by a series of Korea–China summits and startup cooperation agreements — has now begun to reopen access to one of the world’s most lucrative markets for Korean creative industries.

This diplomatic normalization built the institutional trust that now allows such ventures to proceed. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) and China’s MIIT already laid the groundwork through a bilateral MOU signed in Beijing earlier this year — a framework that explicitly encouraged co-development between Korean and Chinese innovation ecosystems.

ONECEAD: A Legitimate Pathway for K-Content and Creative Startups

A CJ ENM spokesperson said,

“It is meaningful to begin an artist business that will lead the global market with partners best suited for the Greater China region. We will keep refining a business model that resonates with global fandoms beyond borders.”

Industry observers in both countries view ONECEAD a policy-backed commercial partnership, supported by stable institutional cooperation — a sign that K-content and creative startups can once again secure legitimate pathways to operate in China under transparent, regulated frameworks.

Beyond K-Pop, Toward K-Content Tech

For Korea’s startup ecosystem, ONECEAD represents a new hybrid model where entertainment and technology intersect under the same cross-border policy structure that governs AI and deeptech collaboration.

Policy-Backed Re-Entry

The partnership signals that Korea’s creative IP industry has regained regulatory confidence in China — a key precedent for content-tech startups developing in AI media, virtual production, and fan-data platforms.

Institutional Validation

Just as APEC’s Startup Alliance institutionalized tech cooperation, ONECEAD institutionalizes creative ecosystem cooperation, backed by government-to-government trust mechanisms.

Cross-Border Venture Models

Korean startups focused on immersive content, creator platforms, or generative IP technologies may now find renewed access to Chinese distribution and venture capital, using the same structural model of co-managed subsidiaries.

Market Diversification

Re-entry into China could help reduce Korea’s overreliance on Western streaming ecosystems, offering a balance between East–West cultural tech trade routes.

This is a potential structural turning point— not a short-term entertainment trend — for Korea’s broader content-tech venture ecosystem.

The First Real Test of Korea–China Startup Diplomacy

ONECEAD’s launch demonstrates that Korea’s startup diplomacy is evolving from policy promise to commercial proof. If successful, it could become a model for how cultural IP and technology ventures integrate under a shared governance framework — validating the diplomatic groundwork laid by both governments.

The project also serves as a litmus test for how effectively Korean creative startups can scale through joint ownership structures without losing IP control — an issue long debated in venture circles.

As trust rebuilds between Seoul and Beijing, ONECEAD might be the first tangible indicator that Korea’s innovation diplomacy is no longer theoretical but operational, with real revenue, audiences, and scalable ecosystems on the line.

Key Takeaways on ONECEAD by CJ ENM, JYP China, and Tencent Music

• ONECEAD, launched by CJ ENM, JYP China, and Tencent Music, marks the first major Korea–China entertainment joint venture since the 2016 content freeze.
• The policy thaw between both nations has reopened the Chinese market for K-content and creative tech startups.
• The joint venture aligns with Korea’s APEC-backed innovation diplomacy, extending ecosystem cooperation beyond deeptech to cultural IP.
• It signals institutional trust restoration, a key condition for cross-border startup expansion.
• Korean content-tech startups can now leverage similar JV models for co-production, AI media, and fan-data platforms.
• The venture represents a commercial test case for Korea–China ecosystem integration through shared governance.
• Ecosystem insight: Creative IP is re-emerging as an investable cross-border asset category within Asia’s startup corridor.

– Stay Ahead in Korea’s Startup Scene –
Get real-time insights, funding updates, and policy shifts shaping Korea’s innovation ecosystem.
➡️ Follow KoreaTechDesk on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Threads, Bluesky, Telegram, Facebook, and WhatsApp Channel.