From ASEAN to 'Gyeongju APEC'... President Lee's Relay of Multilateral Diplomacy 'Super Week' (Comprehensive)

First ASEAN Event on the 26th: Dinner Meeting with Local Korean Residents
Meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister on the 27th to Discuss Response to Scam Crimes
Second South Korea-U.S. Summit on the 29th: Shortest Mutual Visits in History
First South Korea-China Summit on the 1st of Next Month; Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Also Attending
"No New Developments in North Korea-U.S. Summit"

President Lee Jae-myung will attend a series of multilateral summits, starting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and continuing with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. On the occasion of the APEC Summit held in Gyeongju, the second South Korea-United States summit will take place on the 29th, followed by the first South Korea-China summit on the 1st of next month.

President Lee Jae-myung is presiding over the Senior Secretary Meeting held at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 23rd. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Wi Sung-rak, Director of the National Security Office, held a press briefing at the Presidential Office in Yongsan on the 24th and explained, "Although the ASEAN Summit will continue until the evening of the 27th, President Lee is scheduled to return to Korea in the afternoon of the 27th to prepare for the APEC Summit in Gyeongju." After returning to Korea, President Lee will attend the APEC events in Gyeongju from the 29th until the 1st of next month.

President Lee’s first official event at the ASEAN Summit will be a dinner meeting with local Korean residents on the 26th. On the following day, the 27th, his first official meeting will be a summit with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. He will then discuss ways to strengthen cooperation during talks with ASEAN, as well as the leaders of China and Japan, and hold a summit with the Prime Minister of Malaysia, the chair country. Director Wi stated, "This ASEAN Summit, which President Lee is attending for the first time since taking office, will serve as an opportunity to further advance the annual trade volume of 200 billion dollars and people-to-people exchanges exceeding 12 million," adding, "We aim to strengthen future cooperation and establish a partnership to jointly respond to online scam crimes."

The greatest focus is on the South Korea-United States summit, which will take place on the sidelines of the APEC Summit following the ASEAN Summit. On the afternoon of the 29th, President Lee will hold his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, who will visit Korea as a state guest. This marks the shortest period in history between mutual visits by the leaders of the two countries. While there is little expectation that the unresolved South Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations will be concluded abruptly, there is still a possibility that progress on security agreements between the two countries may be announced. Director Wi stated, "It is true that a certain level of understanding has been reached between South Korea and the United States in the field of security," and added, "We are making efforts so that outcomes in security negotiations can be produced either all at once or separately."

President Lee’s first event at the APEC Summit will be the APEC CEO Summit on the 29th, where he will participate as a special speaker at the opening ceremony. On the 30th, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to make an official visit to Korea, and President Lee will hold several bilateral meetings with other participating countries. On the morning of the 1st of next month, President Lee will personally hand over the APEC chairmanship to Chinese President Xi Jinping, followed by a South Korea-China summit in the afternoon. As President Xi will also visit Korea as a state guest, related events are planned to take place in Gyeongju. Sanae Takaichi, the newly appointed Prime Minister of Japan, will also attend APEC, hold a summit meeting, and is reportedly planning a private dinner with President Lee. On the following day, the 2nd, President Lee will move to Seoul to host Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s official visit, thereby concluding his diplomatic schedule.

Director Wi explained, "With China’s first state visit in 11 years, we aim to restore relations and secure momentum for maintaining a positive South Korea-Japan relationship with the new Japanese Prime Minister." He further added, "In addition to discussing ways to develop the partnership during the South Korea-China summit, we will also address issues related to the Korean Peninsula, North Korea, and the surrounding situation." Regarding the possibility of a North Korea-United States summit, he said, "We are closely monitoring any developments between North Korea and the United States, but to my knowledge, there are no new trends."

Yonhap News Agency

The first session of the APEC Summit plenary, to be held on the 31st, will discuss measures to promote trade and investment cooperation under the theme "Toward a More Connected and Resilient World." In addition to economic organizations from APEC’s 21 member economies, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will also attend. After the first session, President Lee will have lunch with members of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), and in the afternoon, he will attend a welcome dinner with APEC economic leaders and businesspeople. On the final day of the plenary, the morning of the 1st of next month, the second session will be held under the theme "Asia-Pacific Vision Prepared for Future Changes," where discussions will focus on the development of artificial intelligence (AI), demographic changes, and more.

Director Wi stated, "A multilateral diplomatic 'super week' will unfold, beginning with the ASEAN Summit and continuing with the APEC Summit in Gyeongju," adding, "As the chair country, we will lay the groundwork for a new leap forward in restored summit diplomacy through proactive platform diplomacy." Regarding the adoption of the 'Gyeongju Declaration' by the leaders attending APEC, he said, "We have been preparing for a long time," and added, "Although there are some contentious issues, we are working to ensure that a declaration is adopted through coordination."