▲ South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (C, back row) poses for a photo with leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced countries and invited countries at the G7 summit venue in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, in this June 17, 2025, file photo. (Yonhap)
▲ This file photo, taken Feb. 24, 2025, shows the Gyeongju Hwabaek Convention Center, the main venue for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, due to be held in South Korea's southeastern city of Gyeongju on Oct. 31-Nov. 1. (Yonhap)

(News Focus) APEC-preview

(News Focus) APEC summit to spotlight Lee's 'pragmatic' diplomacy; Trump, Xi visits eyed

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- The upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea offers President Lee Jae Myung's government a key opportunity to showcase its brand of "pragmatic" diplomacy on the global stage, as world leaders gather to discuss trade and other common challenges amid growing protectionism and looming U.S. tariffs.

Set to take place Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in the southern city of Gyeongju, the multilateral gathering is drawing heightened attention amid rising expectations that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend.

If confirmed, their attendance could give Lee a chance to hold one-on-one meetings with both leaders on the sidelines for discussions on pending bilateral and other shared issues, including North Korea, in addition to separate meetings with other APEC member leaders.

The summit is expected to bring together some 20,000 participants from across the globe, including about 3,500 government delegates from the 21 APEC member economies.

Since its launch June 4, the Lee government has ramped up efforts to ensure full preparations for the summit, creating a dedicated task force and placing Prime Minister Kim Min-seok at the forefront of the planning process for the remaining 100 days.

"The Lee Jae Myung government considers the successful hosting of the APEC summit a top priority," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said at a press briefing last week.

"We will continue to make every effort to host the APEC summit at the highest level and create an environment conducive to innovative economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region," she said.

South Korea has sent official invitations to all APEC members, which include Russia and Taiwan. Russian President Vladimir Putin has skipped APEC summits since its war against Ukraine in 2022 and sent Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk to last year's summit in Peru.

Xi is widely expected to come to the summit as Seoul and Beijing have been seeking to maintain their bilateral relations in a stable manner, an approach also echoed in Lee's foreign policy.

When South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik met with Xi in Beijing in February, Xi told Woo that he was seriously considering attending the summit in Gyeongju. China is also the host country for next year's APEC.

Trump's attendance also appears to be in sight. Joseph Yun, acting U.S. ambassador to South Korea, said during a forum in March that he believes Trump will come "unless there are special circumstances."

If realized, it will mark Trump's first visit to South Korea in five years and the first visit in 11 years for Xi.

This year's APEC summit will take place under the banner of "Building a Sustainable Tomorrow," with a focus on three pillars: "connect," "innovate" and "prosper," reflecting APEC's commitment to developing policies to support a "resilient and inclusive" future, according to the APEC task force.

"The themes are closely tied to APEC's traditional focus on economic integration and free trade," Yoon Seong-mee, chair of the APEC Senior Officials' Meeting, said in a meeting with the press earlier.

"The spread of protectionism and fragmented supply chains are weakening free trade and investment. ... In response, we need to continue to discuss ways to strengthen the multilateral trading system with (the World Trade Organization) at its core," Yoon said.

The summit aims to promote digital transformation in the Asia-Pacific region by addressing the digital divide, with a particular focus on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and its fundamental impact on people's lives and economies.

South Korea plans to propose discussions on ways for the APEC members to cooperate to ensure a safe and inclusive use of AI.

The summit will also discuss solutions to shared challenges, such as energy, food security and demographic changes.

In particular, South Korea will address the declining birthrate and aging population -- issues that have not traditionally been key topics at APEC sessions. Yoon noted that these are already pressing concerns for many countries and challenges that others will inevitably face in the future.

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