Singer G-DRAGON presented a unique historic stage at the APEC summit. His performance was recorded as an emblematic scene of "cultural diplomacy" that links the world through art beyond K-pop.
As the official promotional ambassador of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), G-DRAGON performed at the welcome banquet for the 2025 APEC summit held on Oct. 31 at the Lahan Select Hotel grand ballroom in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, showcasing the stature of Korean culture.
At the performance, G-DRAGON displayed his singular charisma by performing iconic stages in succession, starting with an opening that incorporated traditional Korean music and including "PO￦ER," "HOME SWEET HOME (feat. Taeyang, Daesung)," and "DRAMA."
In particular, he showcased a tasteful fashion sense that symbolized the taegeuk with a black velvet suit accented by a hat that modernly reinterpreted the traditional gat, a red bow tie, a blue tuxedo cummerbund, and white lines as points. His style, which harmonized Korean sensibility with global refinement, instantly captured the attention of world leaders and elevated the stage's dignity.
Among them, Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney were seen taking out their phones in unison to film his stage, expressing admiration. Also, President Lee Jae-myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping sitting side by side and watching the performance amicably became a major topic, demonstrating that culture can become a new bridge for diplomacy.
He also handed out lightstick packages bearing the message "Peace with Create" to attending leaders, conveying how art can bind the world across language and borders. "Peace with Create" was G-DRAGON's declaration of peace and creative vision to the world, embodying the message that "peace is not a halt but a process of creation" through music and visuals, and demonstrating art's power of healing and solidarity. Before world leaders, he realized the Übermensch philosophy of "Beyond Myself," proving K-pop's new diplomatic possibilities as an artist representing the global era beyond Korea.
Above all, G-DRAGON's APEC stage was not a mere celebratory performance but a symbolic moment in which an artist representing K-pop delivered a message of peace and harmony to the world. He said, "I believe music has the power to connect us all beyond borders and languages. As an artist representing Korea, I will continue to sing further, higher and more vigorously toward a better future," leaving a deep impression on world leaders and attendees.
Through close relationships with global luxury houses such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton, G-DRAGON has established himself as an artist who breaks down the boundaries between fashion and art and leads trends. Despite being a male artist, he has freely worn Chanel's women's and unisex collections, naturally combining high fashion and streetwear with tweed jackets, denim and leather pants. His distinctive style has been praised as a "genderless sensibility" that transcends gender boundaries, attracting broad interest from domestic and international fans and consumers through items such as jewelry and nail art. G-DRAGON is regarded as a representative figure who elevated Korean aesthetics into a global trend.
Musically, G-DRAGON has also cemented his status as an innovator spanning generations, genres and cultures. Through representative songs that combined experimental attempts and philosophical messages, such as "One of a Kind," "Crooked," and "Untitled, 2014," he has broadened the horizons of popular music. His third full-length album, "Übermensch," released after eight years, sold more than 630,000 copies on its first day, breaking his previous personal record, and proved his global influence by topping the iTunes album chart in 28 countries. Following Korea, the world tour opened at Tokyo Dome with all seats sold out, and subsequent tours in other countries continued to sell out, demonstrating overwhelming ticket power.
Moreover, for the first time among K-pop artists, a Hana Financial Group advertising campaign was aired on the Sphere, the world's largest immersive LED dome in Las Vegas, reaffirming his status as a global icon encompassing culture, technology and art.
Beyond his activities as a singer, G-DRAGON has expanded K-pop into a single K-culture as a designer, planner and creator, elevating the artistry and creativity of Korean popular culture to the global diplomatic stage. This APEC stage was more than a performance; it was a decisive moment showing that music can function as the language of diplomacy and will be recorded as a resonant message G-DRAGON sent to the world as an artist who sings for peace.
Meanwhile, G-DRAGON is continuing the final leg of the "G-DRAGON 2025 WORLD TOUR [Übermensch]," which began with his Korea concerts in March and has been touring the world. He held encore concerts in Taipei, Taiwan, on the 1st and 2nd, selling out both days and once again electrifying Taiwan amid enthusiastic local fan response. Even as encore concerts, they drew an unprecedented total of about 76,000 attendees over the two days, and on the 8th he will hold his first world-tour show in Vietnam since the "K-STAR SPARK IN VIETNAM 2025," where local corporations stirred the entire country, giving audiences another chance to experience "GD power."
In particular, the final performance, a three-day finale from Dec. 12 to 14 at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome, will cap the "G-DRAGON 2025 WORLD TOUR [Übermensch]," which toured 16 cities worldwide, and is expected to be an overwhelming finale that proves the pinnacle of K-pop. Coupang Play will participate as the presenting partner for the Seoul encore shows, and ticket sales will proceed with fan club presales on Nov. 10 and general sales on Nov. 11; domestic tickets can be purchased exclusively through the Coupang Play mobile app and overseas through Interpark Global.
Meanwhile, G-DRAGON, as the first artist to present a global media exhibition that combines music, fashion and media art, has been offering a new K-culture experience where visitors can directly engage in interactive spaces that incorporate VR and advanced media tech with the "G-DRAGON Media Exhibition: Übermensch" tour. This has been noted as a symbolic case visualizing his music and artistic world in media language and is regarded as a very rare and innovative attempt even among K-pop artists. It has been successfully held so far in major cities including Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong, Osaka, Macau and Singapore, and continues to run.
[Photo] MBC News video capture
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