RM, the leader of BTS, just made history again! This time, the rapper made an appearance at the APEC CEO Summit held in Gyeongju on October 29th, 2025. He became the first K-pop idol to speak at the prestigious event, giving a powerful speech about culture, creativity, and the importance of supporting artists financially. RM’s message to the world’s most powerful business leaders was simple, stating that art deserves investment, too.
During his keynote, RM urged leaders to think beyond profits and recognize the value of creativity. He expressed that creators could influence the future just as much as technology or economics. The BTS member also reflected on his journey with BTS, calling himself lucky for meeting six incredible bandmates and for having ARMY, the fans who treat BTS’s music as a shared language of life.
“As a creator and artist of this generation, I’d like to use this opportunity to make a request to the distinguished leaders of APEC. There are creators all over the world. Please help them. Give them the financial support so that their own creativity can bloom.”
Listen to RM’s speech here:
APEC praised RM due to his creativity, as he’s also known for his philosophical lyrics and genre-bending collaborations. His appearance adds another achievement to his record of representing South Korea on the global stage, following his speeches at the United Nations in 2020 and 2021. RM continues to show that cultural influence can be just as powerful as political or economic power.