Chinese Ambassador Qiu Guohong was summoned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier in the day, according to officials.
Popular South Korean entertainers have virtually been banned from performing in China since late last year as the bilateral relations soured over the deployment plan, which China accused of compromising its regional security interest.
A week earlier, the Chinese government also rejected South Korean airlines' plan to operate chartered flights to China ahead of the busy Chinese New Year holiday season. (Yonhap)