(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

K-pop supergroup BTS just achieved another historical feat. The South Korean boyband's leader, RM aka Kim Namjoon, delivered a keynote speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in South Korea's Gyeongju on Wednesday.

It is the first time a K-pop artist took part in an APEC summit as a speaker. The 31-year-old rapper talked about the success of K-pop, their fans all over the world, and breaking cultural barriers with their music.

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"I'm not a business leader. I don't think you want to hear any numbers or figures from me. So today, I want to speak to you as a creator and an artist. I want to share my thoughts on how K-pop crossed borders to move the hearts of people," he said.

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He talked about how BTS began their journey in the music industry, trying to find their footing first on home turf and then, in the world, while producing songs primarily in Korean.

RM said that the boy band's music was dismissed as "non-English, foreign culture," describing the first phase of his career as "a test to see if music in Korean can work on the global stage."

"We tried to get on TV to show the world our music, but the doors were closed and would not move,” said RM. However, he added that they overcame those barriers. "And now I'm here today, sharing this precious moment with you," he said.

The seven-member band made their debut in 2013, and is currently one of the biggest names in Korean music. Known as the brainy one in the group, RM first spoke from a world stage when he gave a speech at the United Nations in 2018.

At APEC 2025, the 'Still Life' hitmaker gave a shoutout to their fans, the ARMY, from the podium, while explaining that he is referring to the official name of the BTS fandom, not to be confused with the South Korean military where he served for 18 months.

RM started his speech by pointing out that "cultural industry" was chosen as a "key agenda" for APEC for the first time, and made an appeal to world leaders.

"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. Give them the opportunities so that their talent can really shine,” he said.

South Korea is hosting this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in the southeastern city of Gyeongju. A number of leaders from across the world are at attendance at the prestigious global business forum, including South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump.

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