Request for Participation in Next Year's Gyeongju APEC Summit
Emphasis on Mutual Cooperation on Supply Chain, AI, and Climate Change Issues
President Yoon Suk-yeol, visiting Peru to attend the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, is delivering the keynote speech at the APEC CEO Summit at the National University of San Marcos in Lima on the 15th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News
President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is visiting Lima, Peru to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, proposed the establishment of the 'APEC AI Standards Forum' to promote the integration of manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI) during his keynote speech at the 'APEC CEO Summit' held at the National University of San Marcos in Lima on the afternoon of the 15th (local time). He also emphasized the need for mutual cooperation on supply chain, AI, and climate change issues.
The APEC CEO Summit is a business forum held annually as a side event of the APEC Summit, and this year it was hosted by the Peru Trade Association, an economic organization of Peru, the chair country of APEC, and took place over two days from the 14th to the 15th.
In particular, President Yoon presented the vision and cooperation directions for the three key agenda items to be discussed at next year's 'Gyeongju APEC Summit'?'Connectivity, Innovation, and Prosperity'?and urged Asia-Pacific CEOs to actively participate in the CEO Summit to be held in Gyeongju next year.
First, regarding the 'Connectivity' agenda, President Yoon evaluated that "APEC has a high degree of interdependence within the region, making supply chain stabilization extremely important," and emphasized that "it is necessary to actively utilize the 'Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Supply Chain Crisis Response Network,' for which Korea is the chair country this year, in discussions on stabilizing supply chains in the Asia-Pacific region."
He also stated, "To strengthen digital connectivity, it is essential to establish new norms and orders suitable for the digital era, such as the 'Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA),' and to deepen human, material, and institutional connectivity in various ways, including piloting the 'Scientist Exchange Card' from next year to expand exchanges and connectivity among future generations."
Next, in the 'Innovation' section, President Yoon diagnosed that we are entering an 'AI transformation era' where AI determines corporate competitiveness, national security, and changes the paradigm of the global economy. Especially since APEC accounts for a significant portion of global manufacturing, he stressed the need to promote the integration of manufacturing and AI to strengthen the competitiveness of companies within the region. To this end, he proposed establishing a working group to discover and disseminate 'industrial AI best practices' and creating the 'APEC AI Standards Forum' to build common standards and certification systems.
President Yoon Suk-yeol and Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry who will serve as the Chair of the 2025 Gyeongju Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, are seen on the 15th (local time) at the APEC CEO Summit held at the National University Theater in Lima, Peru, where Choi Tae-won is receiving the gavel from Chair Fernando Zavala. Photo by Yonhap News
Finally, regarding 'Prosperity,' President Yoon stated that climate change and energy issues must be resolved for APEC's shared prosperity. He also announced plans to hold a 'Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) Summit' next year during APEC, involving governments, international organizations, energy demand companies, and supply companies, and to jointly explore ways to achieve carbon neutrality using carbon-free energy such as hydrogen, nuclear power, and renewable energy, which were discussed in Peru this year.
The APEC CEO Summit was attended by about 1,000 global business leaders and scholars, including heads of APEC member countries such as Peru, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, Jamie Dimon, Chairman of JPMorgan Chase, Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok, and Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Next year's APEC CEO Summit chairmanship will be taken over by Korea's economic organizations as the host country, and the next chair, Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, received the chairmanship from the current chair, Fernando Zavala.
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