[Gyeongju APEC] President Lee Wraps Up Overseas Trip... Final Preparations for Korea-US, Korea-Japan, and Korea-China Summits

No Official Schedule Today, Focusing on APEC Summit Agenda Review
Seeking Solutions for Trade Environment, Climate, and AI
To Speak as Special Guest at CEO Summit Opening on the 29th

After visiting Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to attend the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit, President Lee Jae-myung has begun preparations for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. On the 28th, with no official schedule, President Lee focused on final checks for the APEC Summit as well as the upcoming Korea-US, Korea-Japan, and Korea-China summits.

President Lee Jae-myung, after concluding the Korea-ASEAN Summit, arrived at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province on the 27th, disembarked from Air Force One, and moved to a vehicle. Photo by Yonhap News

After returning to Korea through Seoul Airport late at night on the 27th, President Lee held a meeting with his aides to share the outcomes of the ASEAN Summit and to review the agendas for the APEC Summit and bilateral talks. As the president of the APEC chair country, he will be engaged in related events throughout the week. This summit, the first to be held in Korea in 20 years since the 2005 Busan APEC, will address pressing issues such as the rapidly changing trade environment, climate, artificial intelligence (AI), and population decline.

APEC week officially began with the Concluding Senior Officials’ Meeting (CSOM) held from the 27th to the 28th. The Korean government, as the chair country, shared the status of summit preparations and the core issues it is promoting as key outcomes of this year’s APEC Summit with participating countries. The results of the CSOM will be reported at the Joint Ministerial Meeting (AMM) on Foreign Affairs and Trade, scheduled for the 29th and 30th.

Korea, as the chair country, plans to announce the “Gyeongju APEC Joint Declaration” based on the outcomes derived from the CSOM and AMM. The declaration is expected to emphasize the summit’s key themes of “connection, innovation, and prosperity,” aiming to strengthen connectivity within the Asia-Pacific region and promote digital innovation such as AI to achieve shared prosperity. On the 29th, President Lee will participate as a special speaker at the opening ceremony of the “APEC CEO Summit” hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he will deliver remarks.

In addition to multilateral meetings, a series of major bilateral summits are also scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the APEC Summit, including Korea-US, Korea-Japan, and Korea-China summits. At the Korea-US summit scheduled for the afternoon of the 29th, attention is focused on whether the two countries can narrow differences over a US$350 billion (approximately 500 trillion won) investment package and resolve the stalled Korea-US tariff negotiations.

The first Korea-China summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will visit Korea for the first time in 11 years, is scheduled for December 1, and it is drawing attention as to whether it will serve as a turning point for exploring a new Korea-China relationship. The Korea-Japan summit with newly inaugurated Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who will be visiting Korea for the first time since taking office, is expected to take place on November 30, and there is interest in whether the recently restored shuttle diplomacy can be continued.

On the 28th, the 2025 APEC CEO Summit is scheduled to be held at Gyeongju Arts Center. 2025.10.28 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Meanwhile, the US-China summit, which will be held in Busan on the 30th, is also a major event. This will be the first face-to-face meeting between the US and Chinese leaders since the start of Donald Trump’s second term, and attention is focused on whether the two countries, which have been engaged in a trade war over tariffs, can reach a substantive agreement at this summit. The most likely venue for the US-China bilateral summit is Naraemaru, the reception hall located within the Air Force base at Gimhae Airport in Busan.