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South Korean showbiz icons G-Dragon and Cha Eun-woo stole the spotlight at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Meeting gala in Gyeongju on Friday, blending diplomacy, culture and star power in a way that left both K-pop fans and foreign dignitaries buzzing. G-Dragon was the only K-pop artist invited to perform at the high-profile dinner attended by heads of state and global executives at the Lahan Hotel’s grand ballroom. The singer-producer took the stage with dynamic live renditions of his hits “Power” and “Home Sweet Home”, commanding the room with his signature charisma. While singing “Power,” G-Dragon wore a fedora with a pearl chain hanging from it, evoking the silhouette of a traditional Korean gat or bamboo hat. For “Drama”, he added a symbolic touch by decorating his microphone with the Apec flag. As G-Dragon introduced himself as “the Apec 2025 Korea Ambassador,” the audience – including several world leaders – could be seen filming the performance on their phones and swaying to the beat. Cameras captured several world leaders and guests enjoying the performance, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren and Thailand’s first lady Tinanon Niramitr. Chinese President Xi Jinping was also spotted conversing with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung during G-Dragon’s performance, and later smiling as he received a paper butterfly – a reference to the Apec logo – from a children’s choir performance. Shortly after the show, G-dragon shared a behind-the-scenes post on his secondary social media account, captioned “Oh my gat, the real one has arrived”, alongside photos of him in the hat – a playful pun that quickly went viral among Korean netizens. View this post on Instagram A post shared by G-DRAGON (@xxxibgdrgn) View this post on Instagram A post shared by G-DRAGON (@xxxibgdrgn) Fans were equally captivated by a follow-up clip showing G-Dragon relaxing aboard a private jet, exclaiming “A-pec!” in a childlike tone as he appeared to be heading abroad after the performance. Online communities exploded with comments like “The gat look is Saja Boys, the jet is Huntrix – he’s the perfect KPop Demon Hunters”, referencing the animated film. Adding to the star-studded evening, actor and singer Cha Eun-woo, who recently became the talk of social media as the “real-life Jinu” from KPop Demon Hunters, was the emcee of the gala. Currently serving in the military band under the Ministry of National Defence since his enlistment in July, Cha Eun-woo was chosen to represent K-culture in front of global leaders. “I never imagined I’d stand here as the host of such an event,” he said in Korean before smoothly switching to English to lead the proceedings. The dinner also featured a violin performance of KPop Demon Hunters’ original soundtrack song “Golden”, symbolising the growing influence of Korean pop culture on the world stage. As clips of G-Dragon’s theatrical performance and Cha’s poised hosting spread across social media, fans praised the moment as a “perfect display of Hallyu pride”, referring to the global popularity of South Korean culture. This article was first published by The Korea Times Additional reporting by The Korea Herald
