Pre-THAAD (before 2016), BIGBANG was the biggest K-pop act in mainland China — leader G-Dragon (
权志龙) had perhaps the largest individual Chinese fanbase of any Korean idol, and his fashion and endorsement deals set the reference point for male idol styling. The 2016 THAAD deployment crisis froze further touring and Seungri's 2019 Burning Sun scandal led to his departure.
