The 2025 ROUND MUSIC FORUM will be held from October 17 (Fri) to 18 (Sat), 2025 at Lotte World Tower Sky31 and Olympic Park, Seoul. Hosted by KBS, sponsored by the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF), and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea and the ASEAN Secretariat, the forum will be held under the theme of "K-pop and ASEAN Pop: Interaction and the Future." It aims to discuss strategies and the market dynamics of both industries, explore collaboration opportunities within global music trends, and develop new cooperation models and projects. The event will be attended by government officials from the culture and arts ministries of 10 ASEAN Member States, members of the ASEAN-Korea Music Committee, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea, representatives from ASEAN embassies in Korea, institutions related to ASEAN-Korea exchanges, key stakeholders in the popular music industry, and the general public. 

The ROUND Music Forum is an annual event that serves as a venue for sustainable mutual growth through popular music. By addressing timely topics and engaging in in-depth discussions, it has established itself as an international music forum that garners attention from global music experts and stakeholders. The 2025 ROUND Music Forum is taking a slightly different approach, featuring sessions that are open to the public. On the first day of the forum, the session on "Hits Created by the TikTok Generation: The Social Media Power of ASEAN Pop" will explore music strategies and the significance of various social media platforms. The "From Supporters to Partners: The Future of K-pop and ASEAN Pop" session will focus on the potential of ASEAN Pop, influenced by K-pop, to create new trends in the global music market. This will be followed by the session titled "The Interaction of Popular Music between ASEAN and Korea: Focusing on ROUND Collaboration Cases," where real cases of collaboration and exchange achieved through the ROUND project will be shared.  

On the second day, the forum will move to Olympic Park, Seoul, and be held in collaboration with the 2025 Seoul Music Forum during the Grand Mint Festival (GMF). The first session, "Trends and Prospects of the ASEAN-Korea Festival Market," will examine growth factors in the ASEAN music industry and models of international cooperation. The following session, "The Present and Industrial Prospects of Music Broadcasting Programs," will explore the current landscape and future of Korean music broadcasting as well as potential cooperation between production companies and agencies. In the afternoon, PAMUNGKAS (Indonesia) and TELEVISION OFF (Thailand), ASEAN artists who previously participated in the ASEAN-Korea Music Festival (ROUND), will perform on the GMF stage, greeting Korean audiences and adding further significance to the event.  

2025 ROUND Music Forum is expected to provide a meaningful platform that enables the exploration of new possibilities for cooperation and collaboration based on the cultural empathy created by music, while also creating an opportunity for artists and industry professionals to share experiences and expertise for mutual growth.