Rabat – Leaders from around the world gathered on Wednesday in Gyeongju, Korea, for the APEC 2025 CEO Summit. The theme of this year’s edition was “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow,” with three main goals: to connect, innovate, and prosper.
RM of BTS was given the floor to speak for around 10 minutes in front of global leaders. Attendees of the summit included South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung, President of China Xi Jinping, and US President Donald Trump.
The APEC 2025 summit introduced the leader of BTS as “a creative powerhouse and avid art enthusiast.” RM recently partnered with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). He is known for his intellect, love for art, and deep, philosophical lyrics — whether in his own personal music or that of BTS.
RM had the chance to speak in front of the world leaders and other distinguished guests for around 10 minutes. K-pop’s influence on Korea’s tourism and economy was established long ago. HYBE Entertainment, BTS’s parent company, has distinguished itself from other regular entertainment companies as its assets passed the 5 trillion won ($3.5 billion) milestone back in 2023.
In his speech, RM explained that although BTS started out with heavy promotion in the US, it was tough for them to actually attract a following, as non-English songs on TV or radio stations were very rare.
“I saw how high a culture barrier could be,” said the BTS leader. RM also emphasised the importance of cultural diversity and creativity in all sorts of art. He attributes the success of art from diverse cultures, notably K-pop, to keeping the aspects of each culture while integrating parts of other cultures.
RM explained as a producer that in K-pop, they try to keep the Korean culture at the core of the music while also adding a little bit of Hip-hop, R&B, and EDM. RM also expressed that art is unique and that it’s “a force with no borders and no limits of growth.” He expressed that he hopes to see more diversity similar to K-pop in the future, because, according to him, art is how cultural barriers collapse.
Near the end of the speech, RM urged the present leaders and distinguished guests to invest in young artists around the world and support them financially so that their creativity would not die.
The APEC 2025 CEO summit this year represents a hopeful future for the many struggling artists around the world. The APEC 2025 CEO summit is also the first edition in which culture was chosen as a key agenda item, signaling a shift in how culture will be perceived by world leaders and governments.
