By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee

The plenary session of the APEC High-Level Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), chaired by Minister CHAE Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea, concluded on August 27, 2025, as a resounding success.

The plenary session was held in Gyeongju under the theme, “Cultural and Creative Industries: New Horizons for Prosperity.” This inaugural dialogue saw robust attendance from high-level policymakers, including Minister Toshiko Abe of Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Minister Carolina Arredondo of Chile’s Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage; Minister Fadli Zon of Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture; Minister Thiong King Sing of Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture; and Minister Fabricio Valencia of Peru’s Ministry of Culture, underscoring the growing global recognition of the cultural sector’s economic importance.

The plenary session explored the future of cultural industries through three sub-sessions aligned with APEC’s key themes: “Connect,” “Innovate,” and “Prosper.”

The first session, “Connect: CCIs as a New Catalyst for Economic Cooperation within APEC,” reaffirmed that cultural and creative industries are a vital growth engine for APEC and explored opportunities to drive regional economic expansion.

Cultural and creative industries have been established as core industries that drive major macroeconomic indicators such as economic growth and job creation, expanding far beyond the expression of nations’ cultural identities. Reflecting this, MCST highlighted Korea’s cultural industry promotion policies, emphasizing that the influence of cultural content extends into sectors like beauty, food, tourism, fashion, IT, and automotive.

The second session, “Innovate: Developments in CCIs Driven by Digital and AI Innovation,” explored the transformative impact of digital technology and AI across all stages of the cultural and creative industries. The session featured cases of actively pursuing research and investment to drive economic development through cultural and creative businesses in an environment where challenges and opportunities coexist.

In the final session, “Prosper: Advancing a Harmonious Asia-Pacific Community through CCIs,” Yves Daccord, Founder of Edgelands Institute, delivered the keynote address, and member economies discussed practical cooperation measures, including sharing best practices and exchanging educational and training programs.

A key highlight was the adoption of a joint statement, which concluded the plenary session. The joint statement underscores a shared recognition of the economic importance of cultural and creative industries and commits to promoting innovation in creation and distribution through digital and AI technology and establishing a sustainable cooperation framework built on respect for cultural diversity.

Showcasing the depth and dynamism of Korea’s cultural and creative industries: Museum goods exhibited amid the “K-Pop Demon Hunters” phenomenon, Park Jin-young of JYP Entertainment delivering a presentation