Music Business Worldwide's "Trailblazers" series profiles Tommy Jinho Yoon, founder and CEO of Korean promoter International Creative Agency (ICA), who argues that Asia is shifting from being a touring destination to becoming a central driver of the global live music business. He points to growing government backing across Southeast Asia, exemplified by Thailand's leadership publicly launching the Bangkok edition of Japan's Summer Sonic festival in 2024, as evidence that live music is now seen as a strategic economic and cultural asset rather than mere entertainment.

Yoon, whose three-decade career includes bringing artists such as Mariah Carey, Muse, My Chemical Romance and The 1975 to Asian audiences, also runs Incheon's long-running Pentaport Rock Festival and is building wealive, a content platform combining music media, artist discovery and event promotion with backing from Universal, Warner and Sony Music Korea. He also highlights persistent constraints in Korea's venue infrastructure, including Jamsil Olympic Stadium's renovation and a shortage of mid-sized venues, noting that Live Nation's selection as preferred bidder for the stalled 18,000-capacity Goyang Arena offers hope, though lost touring opportunities have reportedly cost the market hundreds of millions.