RM, leader of the group BTS, showcased the strength of Korean culture before global economic leaders.
RM delivered the keynote speech on the second day cultural session of the APEC CEO Summit 2025 held at Gyeongju Arts Center on the 29th. This is the first time a K-pop singer has taken the stage at the APEC CEO Summit.
That day RM delivered a roughly 10-minute speech before about 500 attendees under the theme "APEC region's cultural creative industries and the soft power of K-culture (from the creator's perspective)." He said he wanted to talk about how K-culture from a creator's perspective has moved people's hearts across borders, and conveyed the meaning of cultural solidarity and inclusion created by K-pop and the Korean wave.
At the beginning of his speech RM said it was an honor to meet the APEC participants in the Republic of Korea where he was born and raised. He said he felt pride and expectation as one creator that this year 'cultural industry' was included as a core agenda at APEC for the first time.
He went on to say K-pop is not just music but a 360-degree package of music, dance, visuals and storytelling, explaining that it embraces Western musical elements such as hip-hop, R&B and EDM while containing Korea's unique aesthetics and sensibilities.
He compared the characteristics of K-culture to bibimbap, saying that when different elements preserve their unique colors and come together, they create new value. He added that K-pop could be loved because it preserved Korean identity while respecting the world's diversity.
RM cited the fandom ARMY as the force behind BTS's global success. He said ARMY is a pure cultural solidarity that transcends borders and that through music they have voluntarily carried out social campaigns and donations, adding that their inclusiveness and solidarity constantly inspire his creativity.
He recalled that just over a decade ago it felt like a test whether music in Korean could work in English-speaking markets, and that at the time they were often asked where Korea was before people even discussed the music. He added that being able to stand on the APEC stage today was thanks to fans and the power of culture that together broke down that barrier.
Toward the end of his speech RM urged APEC leaders to support cultural inclusion and creativity. He asked them to create opportunities where creators worldwide can fully display their talents, and emphasized that culture and the arts are the most powerful mediums to convey diversity and inclusion.
He also said APEC's policies and support could become a canvas of inspiration and a playground for creators, urging that together they build a more inclusive and sustainable future through culture and creativity.
The following is the full text of RM's keynote speech.
Hello everyone. I am RM, leader of the group BTS.
I am honored to introduce myself and deliver a message to you, the main players of APEC, here in the Republic of Korea where I was born and raised. I especially feel deep pride and expectation as one creator that 'cultural industry' has been elevated to a core agenda at APEC for the first time this year.
I don't know how familiar or deeply you understand K-Culture or the K-pop industry. But I think we all agree on the great economic value and growth potential that culture possesses. As you know, I am an artist, not a business leader. I do not think you want me to rattle off numbers or statistics here.
So today, from a creator's perspective, I would like to share my personal thoughts on how K-pop has moved people's hearts across borders and the meaning of that qualitative connection. And I ask the global leaders present here to take a deep interest in and cooperate for the future creative cultural ecosystem.
I am a very lucky person.
I met the six other BTS members and the producer "hitman" Bang who gave us full support so we could focus on the music we wanted to make. And most of all, I met ARMY around the world who accept our music not as mere entertainment but as a language of life.
Ah! Don't misunderstand. Although I recently completed 18 months of military service, ARMY is the official fandom name of BTS.
ARMY's border-transcending support and passion opened a completely new path for me. Thanks to that I have been able to speak at symbolic places such as the Billboard Music Awards, the Grammy Awards, the United Nations General Assembly, the White House, and today this APEC stage.
A decade ago, when BTS first entered overseas markets, we could not have imagined honors like this.
Have you ever heard songs in languages other than your native language or English on TV or radio at home? I experienced firsthand how difficult it is in English-speaking regions to hear songs made in Korean and how high cultural barriers can be.
At the time BTS's music was naturally categorized as non-English culture, and getting our music onto mainstream broadcasting platforms felt like a test of whether Korean-language music could work on the global stage. The gate to broadcasting stations to promote our music was high and solid.
But we couldn't just wait. To create opportunities we danced and sang in the streets and handed out flyers for free performances ourselves. There was an even bigger difficulty: when we were introduced as 'Korean artists,' we often received odd questions unrelated to music. "Are you from North Korea or South Korea?" "Where is Korea located?" Those were the questions we heard most back then. It was a harsh reality that we had to explain the location of Korea before talking about our music.
But today I am here meeting you after crossing that barrier. The key driver that broke this huge barrier was ARMY. They use our music as a medium to communicate beyond borders and languages. Inspired by the messages in BTS's music, they have sometimes carried out voluntary donations and social campaigns, surprising the world. ARMY, once seen as 'supporters of a minority Asian culture,' became a new community and fandom culture that delivered a fresh shock to the global cultural market.
Even at this moment they exert positive influence across borders through the power of pure cultural solidarity. ARMY's "borderless inclusiveness" and "strong solidarity" constantly inspire my creativity.
Among countless global cultural contents, why does K-pop uniquely create such powerful and inclusive communities? I think the reason people from different life backgrounds can become one through K-pop alone lies in the special principle of fusion in K-pop content.
I compare K-pop music to bibimbap.
Bibimbap is a traditional Korean dish. It is called bibimbap because rice is topped with various vegetables, meat and seasonings and all the ingredients are "mixed" together before eating.
K-pop is the same. K-pop does not reject Western musical elements such as hip-hop, R&B and EDM but embraces them while fusing Korea's unique aesthetics, sensibilities and production system. Like bibimbap, different elements preserve their unique identities while coming together to create something new.
K-pop is not merely a music genre. It is a 360-degree total package encompassing music, dance, performance, visual style, music videos, storytelling content and social media.
K-pop's success does not come from the superiority of a particular culture. It has been loved because it preserved Korea's unique identity while respecting diversity and broadly embracing world cultures. When cultural boundaries break down and diverse voices harmonize, creative energy explodes. I believe this is the fundamental appeal that gave birth to the borderless solidarity of ARMY and the reason K-pop is loved.
I think culture flows freely to somewhere and sometimes harmoniously combines to create new value like K-pop. And I hope this creative flow of culture continues around the world.
In particular, the Asia-Pacific region is the most dynamic area of cultural diversity. As K-pop's dazzling growth proves, cultural diversity and creativity are humanity's greatest potential without limits of borders or growth.
APEC leaders,
what music do you enjoy most?
What artwork took your breath away, what film changed your life?
Yes. We all love culture and the arts, and we are people who connect through the emotion and resonance they bring.
As a creator and artist of this era, I would like to ask APEC leaders for a favor from this stage.
Please provide economic support so creators around the world can flourish creatively and create opportunities where talent can be showcased. Investment in future generations must be addressed not only from an economic perspective but also from a cultural one. Culture and the arts are powerful drivers that move hearts and the quickest and easiest mediums to convey diversity and inclusion.
The policies and support of you, the main actors of APEC, will become a canvas of inspiration and a playground for creators around the world to freely express creativity. When creators can fully blossom creatively, they will create new value that crosses borders. Their content will open paths to genuine understanding and inclusion beyond all kinds of 'difference' and cultivate the power of solidarity for a better future.
I support APEC's vision to lead inclusion and growth through culture and creativity.
As an artist I also promise to contribute by freely playing on the broader stage you open and conveying values of courage, hope and inclusion through music.
I once again ask APEC leaders to be steadfast supporters so creators can fully express their creativity and deliver deep resonance to the world.
Thank you for listening. Thank you.
[Photo] Video capture, HYBE
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