BTS’ RM Delivers Keynote Speech at Gyeongju APEC CEO Summit, Comparing K-Pop to Bibimbap

RM, the Leader of BTS who recently completed his military service, gave a keynote speech on the 29th at the Gyeongju APEC CEO Summit under the theme “Culture and Creative Industries in the APEC Region and the Soft Power of K-Culture.” As the first K-pop artist to speak at such a summit, RM delivered his approximately 10-minute address before around 500 attendees. He stated, “As one of the creators, I feel deep pride and anticipation at the fact that for the first time this year, the culture industry has been elevated to a core agenda of APEC.” He continued, “From a creator’s perspective, I want to share my personal thoughts on how K-pop has moved people’s hearts across borders and the significance of these qualitative connections.” During his speech, RM outlined BTS’s global journey. He recalled that when the group first entered foreign markets over a decade ago, opportunities to hear Korean songs in English-speaking regions were extremely rare. “At that time, BTS’s music was naturally categorized as ‘non-English language culture,’ and breaking into mainstream streaming platforms with our music felt like a test to determine whether Korean music could succeed on a global stage,” he explained. He further recalled that when introduced as a ‘Korean artist,’ he was often asked unrelated questions rather than about music, such as, “Are you from North Korea or South Korea?” and “Which country is Korea?” RM emphasized that the fanbase ARMY was the key force that shattered these massive barriers. “ARMY’s border-crossing support and passion opened up entirely new paths for me,” he said. “Thanks to them, I was able to speak at global award shows like the Billboard Music Awards and the Grammy Awards, as well as at symbolic venues such as the United Nations General Assembly, the White House, and today’s APEC stage.” To explain K-pop’s principle of fusion, RM used Korean traditional dish bibimbap as an analogy. “K-pop does not reject but rather embraces Western musical elements like hip-hop, R&B, and EDM, while integrating Korea’s unique aesthetics, emotions, and production systems. Just like bibimbap, different elements maintain their distinct identities while coming together to create something new,” he explained. He defined K-pop as “not just a music genre” but rather “a 360-degree total package that encompasses music, dance, performances, visual styles, music videos, storytelling content, and social media.” RM highlighted the phenomenon of fans from diverse backgrounds communicating across borders and languages through K-pop. “ARMY uses our music as a medium to foster communication beyond borders and languages. Inspired by the messages in BTS’s music, they sometimes carry out voluntary donations and other social campaigns, often surprising the world,” he said. He stressed that ARMY’s ‘borderless inclusivity’ and ‘strong solidarity’ serve as inspiration for creation, urging global leaders to show deep interest and cooperation in building a future-oriented creative cultural ecosystem.