30 October,2025 07:25 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
RM at the summit
RM has made history yet again by being the first K-pop star to be picked as the keynote speaker at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, which has finally returned to South Korea. Speaking to a room full of industrialists and policymakers. Kim Namjoon astonished once again with his inventive, impactful, and remarkable speech, in which he compared K-pop to the adaptability of the Korean dish bibimbap and applauded his team's efforts to break down language and cultural boundaries. The BTS leader also requested more possibilities for creators like himself to explore and advance around the globe, which drew applause.
His remark marked the first time a Korean musician had spoken at the APEC CEO summit, a famous global business event. Namjoon discussed how K-pop transcends borders to "move the hearts of people." "It is not something we can accurately calculate or measure. "It is a bridge that connects worlds," he explained.
Namjoon expressed gratitude to BTS and his ARMY for all the love and support, "Army's support and passion crossed all borders and opened up a brand new path for me. They gave me a voice that was heard at the Billboard Music Awards, at the Grammys, at the United Nations, and even at the White House at such historic and symbolic events, like right here at the APEC."
He also discussed the difficulties the K-pop group encountered when it initially went global, claiming that their music was labelled as "non-English" and "foreign culture".
Namjoon recalls dancing on the street and passing out flyers for free events as examples of the group's hardships and triumphs. However, the artist claimed that one item was more challenging. "When we said we are artists from Korea, they did not ask us about our music; they asked, 'Are you from North Korea or South Korea? Where on Earth is Korea?" So we had to explain where Korea was before we could even talk about our music, and that was the reality,' he said.
Namjoon also spoke extensively about K-pop and what it encompasses during his speech. "K-Pop is not just a genre of music, it is a 360-degree total package of music, dance, performance, visual style, storytelling, music, video, and even social media," he told CNN.
He noted that K-pop's global success stemmed from "respecting diversity" and embracing global cultures while maintaining Korea's distinct identity.
"When culture barriers come down and different voices harmonise together, there is an explosion of creative energy," he told me.
