Standing before delegates at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit on Wednesday night, BTS member Kim Nam- joon, also known as RM, urged governments to view culture and art as the beating heart of innovation. “There are creators all around the world. Give them the financial support so that their own creativity can bloom,” he said. “Give them the opportunities so that their talents can really shine.”

The rapper and songwriter is the first K-pop artist to be a keynote speaker at the APEC Summit. In a room full of business leaders, he spoke to them as an artist. He promised that his audience would not hear numbers or figures — and he didn’t. Instead, he used this opportunity to urge his audience to see artists not just as entertainers but as drivers of creativity, diversity and cultural exchange.

“When you think about investing in tomorrow’s generations, think about culture as well as economics. Culture and art are a powerful force that moves hearts. They are the fastest messengers that carry diversity and resonance,” he said with measured passion.

Culture as soft power and industry

This year marks the first time the cultural and creative industries were included as a key agenda at APEC. For South Korea, the decision validates what the country has been proving for decades — that art and entertainment can be as powerful as exports of steel or batteries.

RM’s presence represented the transformation of K-culture from a curiosity into a global economic force. BTS alone has been credited with generating billions of dollars for the Korean economy through tourism, merchandise, and global partnerships.

“K-pop success didn’t happen because one single culture was better,” he said. “K-pop success came from respecting diversity and embracing world cultures while still holding on to Korea’s unique identity.” 

He added that creativity thrives when cultural barriers fall and voices from different places begin to harmonize. This is the spirit that gave rise to ARMY’s borderless solidarity. This, according to him, is the reason K-pop resonates so deeply across the world.

In his speech, RM likened K-pop to bibimbap. He explained that K-pop, too, is a blend of distinct elements that, when combined, create something richer. Pop, he said, is the rice. Meanwhile, the vegetables, meat, and seasonings symbolize Korea’s unique aesthetics, emotions, and production system.

“You don’t turn away elements of Western music like hip-hop, R&B, or EDM. Just like bibimbap, these parts all keep their unique identities but mix together to make something new and fresh and delightful,” he said. He added that everyone should give bibimbap a try.

Building culture, building futures

RM’s message aligns with the summit’s broader theme, “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow.” It’s a reminder that sustainability isn’t only environmental or technological — it’s also cultural.

As the world’s creative economies face challenges from AI-generated content, piracy, and funding cuts, his plea resonated: to see creators as architects of meaning and drivers of solidarity.

“As the leaders of APEC, your policies and support will be the canvas and playground for all creators,” he said. “When creators flourish, culture gathers to form brand-new aesthetics. They will create the power of solidarity for the future.”

For a generation raised on streaming and social media, RM’s words bridged pop and policy. He shared that there were harder things BTS dealt with in the past than dancing on the streets and handing out flyers to free shows.

That was reaching out to people who didn’t even know where Korea was and had never listened to a Korean track. 

“At that time, the music of BTS was quickly called non-English foreign culture. Trying to get on mainstream media through our music was like doing an experiment and a huge challenge. It was a test to see if music in Korean can work on the global stage,” he said. “We tried to get on TV to show the world our music, but the doors were closed and would not move.  But as you know, we couldn’t just sit around and wait. We tried to make our own opportunities.”

RM said he takes pride in how BTS overcame those barriers so much that he could stand before world leaders today. He described their fandom, ARMY, as the driving force that helped open doors, using music as a bridge for conversations across languages and cultures. Through their persistence, he said, they were able to reach audiences around the world and earn wider recognition.

“Culture is like a river,” he said, closing his speech. “It flows freely, bringing together different streams to create something new.”

And if RM’s message moved hearts, then we will truly see a future where every creator has room to bloom.