ASEAN-Korea Music Festival: The 3rd ROUND Festival in Jakarta

Jakarta, 1 August 2023 – The ROUND Festival, which began in 2020 as part of ASEAN – Korea Music Festival (AKMF) serves as a platform for ASEAN countries and Korea to communicate through music. Hosted by Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) with the support of ASEAN – Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF), ROUND Festival have been consistently producing high-quality content and fostering cultural exchange and solidarity between Korea and ASEAN countries through online format. The festival has been highly regarded for its ability to showcase the most influential lineup of artists from ASEAN member countries and create a space for musical communication and interaction among musicians and music fans worldwide.

Presenting the theme "Step Out, Sing As One," 2023 ROUND symbolizing the overcoming of challenges and the desire for everyone to come together in one space, singing and enjoying the music together. The festival will invite talented musicians from ten ASEAN countries and Korea. As part of the ROUND 2023, Korea Music Festival Forum in Korea will take place in Seoul from 3-4 August 2023. Followed by KOREA Music Festival, known as 2023 ROUND in Jakarta, Indonesia on 21-22 October 2023.This festival marks the first offline edition after being conducted online in a streaming format twice in 2020 and 2021.

Professionals of the music industry from ten ASEAN countries and Korea will participate in the ROUND Music Forum, focusing on the theme of "Exploring ASEAN and Korean Music" from their respective perspectives. This forum is expected to provide a platform for active exchange and collaboration among music experts and artists from the Asia-Pacific region, fostering practical networking opportunities.

2023 ROUND will feature a lineup of national representative musicians from the ten ASEAN countries and Korea. As the host country, Indonesia will showcase a diverse range of talented musicians. Notably, renowned singer-songwriter Isyana Sarasvati, who previously participated in the festival online in 2020, has confirmed her second appearance. In addition, the band Barasuara and two other bands will also be participating. From Korea, the band SE SO NEON, who recently garnered attention for their collaboration with BTS's RM on their latest album, has secured their spot in the lineup. There is great anticipation for their collaboration with Isyana Sarasvati and expectations are high for their performance. Furthermore, SURL, who will embark on a Southeast Asia tour this fall, is also part of the initial lineup for the festival.

Through the Forum and Festival, it is expected that Korea and ASEAN countries, artists, and audiences will come together to communicate musically beyond borders. In addition, preparations are underway for a festival in Korea and Lao PDR next year.

The festival will be produced into broadcast content, which will be available for viewing on the KBS World YouTube channel. There are also plans to broadcast documentaries featuring Isyana Sarasvati and SE SO NEON's Hwang Soyoon, introducing ASEAN culture. For more detailed information, please refer to the official website, YouTube channel, and social media platforms.

For press inquiries:

Round secretariat - Sookyung Park moamoaproduction@gmail.com / 

Director Gwonil Park cooleng@me.com