WIN Announces Program of Activities in South Korea and First Official Visit to China

Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) has unveiled a program of activities in South Korea and China in collaboration with its APAC Alliance regional working group. Taking place in October in Seoul and Shanghai, a WIN delegation will engage with the region’s independent music sector through panels, market presentations, trade missions, and curated networking opportunities. 

WIN’s CEO Noemí Planas and Community & Projects Manager Nerea Serrano will coordinate activities as part of the organization’s BRIDGE project to address the digital gap across markets and the WINHUB international networking initiative.

They will be joined by APAC Alliance members Brendan Gaffney (IMCJ, Japan), Dylan Pellett (IMNZ, New Zealand), Maria Amato (AIR, Australia), Marty Ro (LIAK, South Korea), Sridhar Swaminathan (SIMCA, India) and guests Tinko Georgiev (Kanjian/IMX, China) and Kaoruko Hill (Merlin, Japan), as well as other Korean, Japanese, and international music companies and professionals.   

The APAC Alliance gives us a shared platform to address the challenges and opportunities in our region. By coming together, we can strengthen local industries, amplify our voices internationally, and foster meaningful exchange.
Dylan Pellett, IMNZ General Manager and APAC Alliance Chair

In South Korea, the program will unfold between October 18 and 22. The first stop will be the Seoul Music Forum, organized by LIAK in collaboration with the Grand Mint Festival 2025 at the city’s Olympic Park. On October 19, WIN will host two BRIDGE panels exploring the role of digital distributors in cross-border exchange, and regional collaboration as a driver of growth for Asia-Pacific talent. 

The WIN delegation will also participate in the fourth edition of the Asia Pacific Music Summit organized by IMCJ. It will take place for the first time in South Korea in collaboration with LIAK, after successful editions in Japan and online. A Japanese delegation will travel to Seoul for the event, which will include sessions featuring market presentations, discussions on export opportunities, and a panel on digital marketing.

The Asia Pacific Music Summit has always been about building stronger connections between Japan and the wider region. Working together with LIAK to bring the Summit to South Korea for the first time is a new significant step, and it reflects the growing importance of cross-border collaboration in Asia.
Brendan Gaffney, IMCJ Global Marketing Secretariat

The APAC Alliance working group will meet on the morning of October 22 to continue discussions on streaming challenges and opportunities, a key priority for the BRIDGE project. The group will also address other strategic topics on its agenda, such as artificial intelligence and cross-border mobility of music industry professionals in the Asia-Pacific region.   

The week of activities in Seoul will culminate with a WINHUB international networking event powered by DISCO that will take place in the Hongdae neighborhood on the evening of October 22. It will bring together delegates from the APAC Alliance, LIAK, IMCJ, Merlin, WIN Supporters, and selected guests from the South Korean music industry.

Merlin, the independents’ digital music licensing partner, is a proud supporter of the Seoul Music Forum, the Asia Pacific Music Summit and the BRIDGE activities taking place in South Korea. Kaoruko Hill, General Manager, APAC at Merlin, will join some of the activities along with representatives of Merlin and its board of directors.

Having the APAC Alliance and our international colleagues from WIN and Merlin in Seoul is an exciting opportunity. South Korea has become a global force in music, and the WINHUB event will be a vital moment for the Korean music industry to connect directly with global independent leaders.
Marty Ro, Sound Republica Co-CEO & LIAK Vice-Chair

Noemí Planas and Nerea Serrano (WIN), Brendan Gaffney (IMCJ), and Marty Ro (LIAK) and Sridhar Swaminathan (SIMCA, India) will then travel to Shanghai to participate in the International Music Expo (IMX), co-hosted with Music China at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) between October 22 and 25. 

This marks WIN’s first official visit to China, having joined previous editions of IMX online. WIN will host a BRIDGE panel that will explore how distributors facilitate access to global platforms while navigating China’s unique market structure. The trip will also be a valuable opportunity to engage with the Chinese music community. 

WIN’s mission to strengthen the position of independent music businesses across markets will be reinforced by the WIN APAC Alliance’s trip to Seoul and Shanghai. Through the knowledge-sharing and networking activities of our BRIDGE and WINHUB initiatives, and collaboration with our members’ events, we aim to connect Asia-Pacific talent with the global independent music community.
Noemí Planas, WIN CEO