[Breaking News] President Yoon Departs for APEC and G20... 8-Day, 5-Night Schedule

15th Korea-US-Japan Summit Meeting in Peru
Attention on Trump President-elect's Meeting Arrangement

President Yoon Suk-yeol will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru and the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in Brazil, held respectively from the 14th to the 21st of this month.

On the 14th, President Yoon departed from Seongnam Seoul Airport aboard Air Force One, the presidential aircraft, heading to his first destination, Brazil.

At the airport, People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, floor leader Choo Kyung-ho, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Ko Ki-dong, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang In-sun, Chief of Staff to the President Jeong Jin-seok, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Cheol-ho, Ambassador of Peru to Korea Paulo Fernando Duclas Parodi, Ambassador of Brazil to Korea Marcia Doner Abreu, and Commander of the Air Force 15th Special Mission Flight Group were present to see off President Yoon. Wearing a navy suit with a deep pink tie, President Yoon shook hands and encouraged those bidding him farewell before departure.

On the morning of the 15th, President Yoon will deliver a speech as the chair country of APEC next year during the first session of the APEC summit. He will then attend the 'Dialogue with the APEC Business Advisory Council' and the 'CEO Summit.'

On the 16th, he will participate in the 'Retreat' event where APEC leaders foster camaraderie and begin the official visit schedule in Peru, including a summit meeting with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte. This marks the first time since his inauguration that President Yoon has visited a Latin American country and held individual bilateral talks.

In particular, with Peru, a key ally in Latin America, multiple cooperation MOUs are expected to be signed focusing on defense, key minerals, tourism, and information and communication technology (ICT). A presidential office official stated, "Peru is the second country after Chile among South American nations to have signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). It is a mineral-rich country ranked second in the world in copper production, second in zinc, and third in olivine, so we expect mutually complementary economic cooperation."

During this trip, the leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan will meet to discuss ways to advance cooperation following the regime change, and bilateral talks between South Korea and China, as well as South Korea and Japan, will also take place. There is also interest in whether a meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will be arranged during the visit.

Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, explained, "Through this summit, President Yoon will emphasize the need for solidarity that a rules-based international order must be upheld for a sustainable future of the international community, serving as a bridge connecting developing and developed countries. During the trip, he plans to hold bilateral talks with numerous countries including Vietnam, Mexico, Brunei, and Japan, and discuss various practical cooperation."

First Lady Kim Geon-hee will not accompany the president on this trip.