Stay tuned for Pyo Kyung-min's latest K-pop stories, where she digs into the backstories that matter. She’d love to hear from you — share your thoughts at pzzang@koreatimes.co.kr. After all, every article gets better with insights from those who love the scene, just like she does!
APEC holds first high-level talks on cultural industries in Gyeongju
Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young, front row fifth from left, poses with representatives from other countries wearing hanbok (traditional Korean attire) after the main session of the APEC 2025 High-Level Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries at a hotel in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. The event is APEC's first high-level talks on cultural and creative industries, highlighting cooperation among member economies. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
By Pyo Kyung-min
GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Senior officials from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies gathered in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, for the group's first high-level talks on cultural and creative industries, underscoring their growing role in economic growth and innovation.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hosts the APEC 2025 High-Level Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries from Tuesday to Thursday, chaired by Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young.
The meeting, held under the theme “CCIs: New Horizons for Prosperity,” marked the first time since APEC’s founding in 1989 that culture was formally placed on the bloc’s agenda.
Representatives from 20 of APEC's 21 member economies attended the talks, with Mexico the only absence. Participants included Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Toshiko Abe, Chilean Culture Minister Carolina Arredondo, Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon, Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Tiong King Sing and Peruvian Culture Minister Fabricio Valencia.
Opening the plenary session Wednesday, Chae called cultural industries "a key sector that has moved beyond artistic expression to directly impact macroeconomic indicators such as growth and job creation," and said these talks would serve as a milestone for shared prosperity.
The agenda was divided into three sessions — "Connect," "Innovate" and "Prosper" — to align with this year's APEC Summit theme.
The first session reaffirmed cultural industries as a driver of regional growth and introduced Korea’s policies to expand the reach of cultural content.
The second focused on digital and artificial intelligence (AI), with presentations by Studio Freewillusion CEO Kwon Han-sl, who highlighted AI's impact on filmmaking, and Lee Kyo-koo, head of Supertone, who outlined advances in AI voice technology.
The final session, led by Edgelands Institute Director Yves Daccord, examined ways to strengthen cooperation through education, training and best-practice sharing.
Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young, center, hosts the APEC 2025 High-Level Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries at a hotel in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
The dialogue concluded with a joint statement recognizing the industries' economic importance and encouraging innovation in creation and distribution through digital and AI technologies.
After the meeting, Chae emphasized that hosting the talks in Korea allowed for wide-ranging discussions on both traditional culture and contemporary fields such as K-pop and K-films.
"This meeting was significant in acknowledging cultural industries as a future growth driver,” the culture minister said during a press briefing. “Reaching a joint statement through consensus was also a meaningful achievement."
He also emphasized the depth of debate on AI, noting that members shared how they are adopting the technology while also addressing concerns about its rapid spread.
“We will continue close cooperation and further dialogue on this issue,” Chae said.
On the sidelines, participants were offered a visit to exhibitions of Gyeongju’s Silla-era heritage, immersive XR experiences and media showcases including K-pop star Jennie’s “ZEN” music video alongside Lee Lee-nam's video art.
A commemorative display at the Wooyang Museum of Contemporary Art featured MU:DS, or merchandise from the National Museum Foundation of Korea, including tiger and magpie pins inspired by Korean folk paintings and replicas of the Pensive Bodhisattva.
Concluding the briefing, Chae said he hoped the dialogue would open “a new stage of cooperation where culture drives the economy” and also pledged to create opportunities for participants to experience the full spectrum of Korea’s culture from its traditional roots to its contemporary elements.