Seoul: Culture ministers from 20 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) recognized the growing role of cultural and creative industries and agreed to continue discussing related issues at their first meeting, South Korea's culture ministry said. The agreement was made during the APEC 2025 High-level Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries held in Gyeongju, marking the first ministerial-level gathering on culture since APEC's founding in 1989.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the joint statement issued at the end of the main session highlighted the economic value of cultural industries and called for innovation in creation and distribution, leveraging digital and artificial intelligence technologies. South Korea's Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Chae Hwi-young praised the meeting as a significant achievement for spotlighting cultural content as a core agenda item for economic cooperation.
Initially, the joint statement was to include a clause on building a sustainable cooperation system based on respect for cultural diversity. However, objections from some member economies led to its exclusion. Instead, the participants committed to promoting exchanges among APEC members in cultural industries and continuing relevant discussions. Minister Chae noted that despite the exclusion, member economies agreed to keep the discussions ongoing, even without establishing a specific consultative body.
The meeting, chaired by Chae, saw participation from about 100 representatives from all APEC member economies except Mexico. Before the adoption of the joint statement, participants engaged in three sessions under the themes "Connect," "Innovate," and "Prosper," focusing on the future of global cultural and creative industries. The dialogue in Gyeongju is set to conclude on Thursday.