The goal of the One Club for Creativity’s ONE Asia Creative Awards is to make the creative ecosystem more interconnected by rotating its judging locations to a different key market each year, and embedding itself within local communities. After previously holding judging in Shanghai and Manila, this year judging will take place in Seoul, creating numerous opportunities to engage directly with local talent, foster dialogue, and leave lasting impact. 

This year’s jury of leading creatives from 15 countries will come together on October 16-19, 2025 at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, famous for its traditional Korean elegance. In addition to judging APAC’s best work of the year, the jury will also celebrate local culture and interact with members of the Korean creative community.  

“By rotating judging locations and engaging with the local agencies and artists, we’re doing more than celebrating great work.  We’re investing in the people and communities that make creativity thrive,” statedTay Guan Hin, director, APAC Region, The One Club for Creativity. “Our mission is to create long-term visibility, opportunities, and impact for creatives across Asia-Pacific.”

Seoul pulses through alleyways and skylines, late-night and early morning. The city hums with a rhythm of its own. To bring this spirit alive for judging, ONE Asia worked with Seoul-based illustrator and graphic designer, Kyungju Kim, granddaughter of Korea’s legendary traditional artist, Ucchin Chang.  

Her illustrations blend the traditional Korean art form 풍속도 (genre paintings of everyday life) with her signature modern, minimalist black-and-white line art. She uses abstract drawings with simple lines and limited colour, giving space for viewers to imagine the meanings in various ways and expand their creativity.

 Kyungju chose to present Seoul through five senses, linked with the soul. Instead of focusing on the obvious elements when thinking of the city, her 5 senses of Seoul concept expresses the overall culture and soul of each sense and mixes it up with the past and present. 

“Working with ONE Asia, we developed and expanded my creativity as a team, focusing on various aspects of Seoul,” Kyungju stated.  “We tried to deliver the complicated cultural elements into a simple yet meaningful key visual so that many people could feel ‘the 5 senses’ with their own creative perspective.”

ONE Asia also continues its close partnership with Black Cat White Cat Music, a global music agency founded in Tokyo with offices in Asia, North America and Europe, known for crafting emotionally charged, culturally tuned soundtracks for film, television, gaming, and advertising. 

“Culture isn’t just things, people, or deeds. It’s the invisible bonds that tie them together,” stated Erik Reiff, founding partner, CCO, Black Cat White Cat. “ONE Asia is where APAC’s creative visionaries strengthen those bonds, elevating our industry and growing that culture to new heights.”  

This will be the second time ONE Asia has partnered with Black Cat White Cat. In June, the pair joined together to celebrate creativity, culture, and connections at the Cannes festival with their Eastern Vibe gathering for creatives in APAC.

ONE Asia has also received help from Korean agencies, Paulus and Innored, to support on judging lunch, communications and connections. 

ANLG will provide onsite video support, with photographer, YongKi Yun, documenting the activities. Local agency, MONQ, will also bring a Korean-style photo booth to add more fun to the judging experience, in true Gen Alpha, Korea-inspired fashion. These partnerships were made possible with the help of Julie Jihyun Kang, CEO of both Serviceplan Korea and Flux AI Asia.

“We are extremely proud and grateful to work with these local and global partners to make this judging event possible,” said Season Zhou, APAC director, growth and partnership, The One Club for Creativity. “They are the ones who will help judges discover untapped ideas and fresh perspectives from Korean culture. That energy is what fuels our mission to elevate creativity by building bridges between communities.”