JAKARTA — The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, emphasized the role of the cultural industry as a pillar of new economic growth at the APEC High-Level Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries (HLD-CCI) in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Thursday, August 28. This forum, for the first time, placed culture on the official APEC agenda, with 20 member countries participating.
Minister of Culture Fadli stated that the cultural and creative sector has formed a global ecosystem worth USD 4.3 trillion, or 6 percent of the global economy, with 30 million jobs, the majority of which are supported by MSMEs and young people. "In Indonesia, cultural strength rests on 17,000 islands, 1,340 ethnicities, and 718 languages. From cinemas recording 122 million viewers in 2024 to batik exports increasing 76 percent in the first quarter of 2025, all prove that culture is a real sector, a job creator, and a driver of investment," he said.
South Korean Minister of Culture Chae Hwi-young added the importance of strengthening the economic value of culture. "This is the first time APEC has formally discussed the cultural industry," he said.
Minister of Culture Fadli also highlighted the role of digitalization and AI. Indonesia is now the largest digital economy in Southeast Asia, projected to reach USD 130 billion by 2025. However, he warned of the risks of the digital divide and algorithmic bias. "The solution is localized generative AI, based on data and local values. Technology must preserve regional languages and traditions, not marginalize them," he stressed.
In the final session, Minister of Culture Fadli emphasized culture as a unifying force for the nation. Indonesia, he said, actively promotes cultural diplomacy through UNESCO World Heritage nominations, from the Kebaya to Jaranan. He also announced Indonesia as the host of CHANDI 2025 in Bali next week with the theme Culture for the Future.
The session closed with the adoption of a joint statement marking the birth of a new chapter in APEC: the cultural industry is now recognized as a strategic force in the Asia-Pacific, with the HLD-CCI established as a permanent forum.
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