China's media regulator has approved a South Korean video game for the first time in nearly four years in what could mark the easing of economic retaliation against the deployment of the U.S.’ Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) system in South Korea.

According to local game developer Com2uS on Thursday, China's National Press and Publication Administration(NPPA) issued a license for "Summoners War" on Wednesday, allowing the company to sell the mobile game in the Chinese market.

Since launching economic retaliation because of the THAAD anti-missile system in March 2017, Beijing has not issued any licenses to South Korean video games.

Com2uS has sought China's approval for its flagship game since late 2016.

While the latest news has raised hopes within the industry, game experts warned that it could be a one-time move, before calling for more support from the South Korean government.