22.12.2025: UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl joined a high-level delegation to South Korea ahead of the announcement of a major trade deal between the two nations. 

Tom represented the UK music industry, which generates £8 billion a year for the UK economy and £4.8 billion annually in music exports revenue, on the pre-Christmas visit to South Korea – the world’s 12th largest economy.

South Korea is the seventh largest recorded music market globally with a market size of $753.8 million. It is also a top 20 market for UK recorded music exports overall. The growth in the popularity of K-pop meant that nine of the 10 best-selling albums in the world last year were by South Korean artists.

Tom said: “One of our key aims at UK Music is to help continue to grow the export revenue generated by UK music creators from the current record level of £4.8 billion in the face of a fiercely competitive global market.

“I was delighted to join the UK delegation to promote our music industry in a fast-growing market and help the Government forge ever closer links without counterparts in South Korea to drive jobs and growth for both countries.

“Just as there is a big appetite in the UK for K-pop, there is a huge enthusiasm in South Korea for our music and we need to do all we can to grow that market.  We will continue to work with the UK Government to cement trade bonds with South Korea and look to build our UK music exports market in every way we can.”

Tom was invited by the British Embassy in Seoul to be part of the delegation at the UK-Korea High Level Forum. The Forum, organised by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office executive agency Wilton Park, brought together representatives from AI, defence and soft power sectors to consider focused areas of collaboration to deepen the Global Strategic Partnership agreed by the UK and South Korea in 2023.

Just days after the delegation’s visit, UK Trade Minister Sir Chris Bryant announced the new deal which he said would “drive growth, create jobs, and unlock global opportunities for UK businesses” in the £15.8 billion relationship between the two nations which already supports more than 92,000 jobs.

Pictured at the British Ambassador’s residency in Seoul are from left to right: Catriona Laing (Senior Responsible Officer Soft Power, UK Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office, Tom Kiehl (Chief Executive, UK Music), Tony Yoon (Political Officer, British Embassy Seoul), Liam Byrne MP (Chair, Business and Trade Committee, House of Commons), Catherine West MP, Piera Carugno (Vice President for Operations Planning at Rolls-Royce), Chi Onwurah MP (Chair, Science, Innovation and Trade Committee, House of Commons) and HE Colin Crooks (British Ambassador to the Republic of Korea).

You can read the Government’s conclusion summary of the updated Free Trade Agreement between the UK and South Korea here.

Both the UK and Republic of Korea are required to complete their respective domestic procedures for the agreement to come into effect.