South Korea will celebrate its role as the 2025 APEC host nation with a large-scale K-pop concert, “APEC Music Festa,” on Oct. 10 in the historic city of Gyeongju.
The event, held at the Gyeongju Civic Stadium, will coincide with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where leaders from 21 member economies are gathering. Organizers said the concert is designed not only to showcase South Korea’s vibrant pop culture to visiting dignitaries and foreign media, but also to highlight cultural exchange alongside diplomacy.
The lineup includes Billlie, NCT WISH, Yena, ONF, ONEUS, WEi, USPEER, izna, Jung Dae-hyun, KickFlip, Ha Sung-woon, H1-KEY and Hearts2Hearts, representing a broad spectrum of K-pop styles. The concert will be streamed live on KBS Kpop’s YouTube channel, which has nearly 10 million subscribers. Edited broadcasts will later air globally on KBS2, KBSN and KBS World, with the latter’s YouTube channel reaching more than 20 million subscribers worldwide.
As part of the broader cultural program, a special performance titled “Woman On Music (WOM)” will take place on Oct. 24 at Gyeongju’s Bomun Lake floating stage. Female artists from South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and Vietnam will deliver a 90-minute show with messages of hope for future generations.
Officials emphasized that the festival will reflect the APEC summit’s central themes of connection, innovation and prosperity through cultural expression. “This is more than a concert—it’s an opportunity to present South Korea’s cultural power to the world,” one organizer said.
The event will also overlap with the city’s annual Silla Cultural Festival, running Oct. 10–12, which features traditional and contemporary performances, street art and the Silk Road Festa against the backdrop of the historic Woljeong Bridge. By combining the APEC Music Festa with Gyeongju’s signature cultural celebration, the city hopes to create a festival atmosphere that blends ancient heritage with modern pop culture. Local officials expect the influx of global visitors to boost tourism and provide momentum for the regional economy.
