APEC in Gyeongju sparks global buzz as K-pop stars dominate social chatter

A data analysis by the Korea Tourism Organization’s Korea Tourism Data Lab showed that the 2025 APEC Summit held in Gyeongju was a stage for the Korean Wave. During the summit, mentions of Gyeongju rose 20-fold year on year, and G-Dragon, Cha Eun-woo, and BTS dominated global social media.

The organization announced changes in the perception of Gyeongju before and after the Summit after analyzing around 230,000 global social data items related to the event. The study covered major markets including Japan, the United States, and Singapore across social and online channels and search engines, focusing on mentions of “Gyeongju” and related topics.

Social mentions related to the Summit surged more than 20 times versus the same period last year, and Google search volume for Gyeongju also more than doubled, signaling a global spike in interest. During the Summit, the United States accounted for 22% of social mentions, followed by Thailand (10%), Indonesia (9%), Japan (8%), and India (7%).

There were numerous positive mentions of K-pop stars, including BTS RM delivering the keynote, G-Dragon at the welcome dinner, and Cha Eun-woo hosting the official banquet. K-beauty and K-food drew explosive interest, with Google Trends for K-beauty rising more than fourfold year over year. Also, in addition to traditional favorites, Thai data highlighted Got as a major keyword, and the gold crown reportedly presented to President Trump drew wide attention.

Tourism Organization’s Lee Ji-eun, head of Tourism Consulting, said, “This global social data analysis confirms that the APEC Summit was not merely an international meeting but a festival that showcased the appeal of K-culture to the world,” and that the organization will actively leverage these results to turn global interest into tangible inbound demand.