SEOUL: A 75-second promotional video for the upcoming 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit surprised many viewers by featuring high-profile South Koreans ranging from K-pop star G-Dragon to President Lee Jae Myung.
The Preparatory Office for Apec 2025 released the special video to promote the 2025 Apec summit on Oct 2.
The clip opens with shots of G-Dragon – the country’s honorary ambassador for Apec 2025.
The singer walks through a hanok-style Korean restaurant, where Cannes-winning film-maker Park Chan-wook, South Korean football icon Park Ji-sung, and superstar DJ Peggy Gou are already seated. (Hanok is a traditional architectural style using materials like wood and natural stone, wooden frames, paper-covered doors and an underfloor heating system)
South Korea’s only Michelin three-star chef Ahn Sung-jae, who rose to fame on Netflix’s mega-hit cooking show Culinary Class Wars, is featured in the video as the restaurant’s chef.
Just as G-Dragon is about to welcome the Apec members to the restaurant, Jang Won-young of K-pop girl group Ive tells him he needs to move a vehicle that has been parked improperly.
President Lee makes a surprise two-second appearance, playing a marshaller guiding aircraft on a runway.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the scene was a metaphor for South Korea’s return to the global stage in an orderly and resilient manner following past turbulence.
Shin Woo-seok, chief executive of production company Dolphiners Films, who led the production, reportedly explained that they needed President Lee to appear in the video as the representative of the host nation, adding that he did not want to portray him in an overly authoritative way. - The Korea Herald/ANN
