ONE Asia Embraces "Seoulmates" by Holding Judging in Korea

Sep. 25, 2025

The One Club for Creativity’s  ONE Asia Creative Awards once again makes history this year by for the first time bringing its prestigious judging event to Seoul, and showcasing the rich diversity of its creative talent. 

ONE Asia’s aim of making the creative ecosystem more interconnected is exemplified by its rotation of judging locations to a different key market each year, and embedding itself within local communities.  After previously holding judging in Shanghai and Manila, the show this year focuses on 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 converge on October 16-19, 2025 at the prestigious 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.  

Tay Guan Hin, Director, APAC Region, The One Club for Creativity said:

“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. Our mission is to create long-term visibility, opportunities, and impact for creatives across Asia-Pacific.”

 

“5 senses of Seoul” by artist Kyungju Kim

Seoul doesn’t just move, it pulses. Through alleyways and skylines, late-night and early morning, the city hums with a rhythm of its own.  This year’s gathering isn’t just a judging experience, it’s a journey through Seoul’s sound, soul, and spirit. 

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.  

Blending the traditional Korean art form 풍속도 (genre paintings of everyday life) with her signature modern, minimalist black-and-white line art, Using abstract drawings with simple lines and limited color, her illustrations give 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. 

Kyungju said:

“Working with ONE Asia, we developed and expanded my creativity as a team, focusing on various aspects of Seoul. 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 “Seoulmates”

For this year’s judging, 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. 

Erik Reiff, Founding Partner, CCO, Black Cat White Cat said:

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

 

This marks the second time ONE Asia has partnered with Black Cat White Cat. This past June, they 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. 

Kyungsin Kim, CEO at Paulus said:

"Innored and Paulus are delighted to welcome One Asia 2025 to Seoul. As proud supporters of this important judging event, we look forward to seeing the best creative professionals rise, and excited to witness great works that expand the worldview of advertising and marketing while sparking cultural impact and inspiring a new age."

 

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 Servericeplan 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.”