APEC South Korea 2025

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APEC 2025 KOREA
2025 아시아태평양경제협력체
APEC 2025 Korea emblem.svg
20251101 Sanae Takaichi at the APEC South Korea 2025 (1).jpg
APEC family photo in Gyeongju
Host country South Korea
DateOctober 31 – November 1, 2025
MottoBuilding a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper
Venues
Main venue

Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center

Other meetings
Follows 2024
Precedes 2026
Website https://apec2025.kr/
External view of the HICO venue Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center HICO.jpg
External view of the HICO venue

The APEC South Korea 2025 (officially stylized as APEC 2025 Korea) was a year-long hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, which concluded with the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on November 1, 2025. [1] It was the second time South Korea hosted the summit, having previously hosted in 2005.

Contents

Preparations

South Korean foreign minister Cho Hyun visits the Gyeongju National Museum in Gyeongju, August 2024 Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol visits Gyeongju, the host city of the 2025 APEC summit (20240830).jpg
South Korean foreign minister Cho Hyun visits the Gyeongju National Museum in Gyeongju, August 2024

In March 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formed the 2025 APEC Summit Host City Selection Committee and began the process of selecting the host city. The committee was led by Yoon Jin-sik, chairperson of the Korea International Trade Association, and had 17 members including government officials and private members. [2] At the second meeting of the selection committee the same month, applications from each local government were reviewed, and Gyeongju, Incheon and Jeju Province were selected as the three finalists. [3]

On May 28, the South Korean government held a ceremony to unveil the 2025 APEC Summit Preparation Committee and began full-scale preparations. This committee had 33 members ranging from government ministries and economic organizations. [4]

In June, the host city was finally confirmed as Gyeongju. In August, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' APEC Preparatory Planning Team, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul visited Gyeongju and inspected key facilities to be used during the summit. The Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center was used as the main conference hall. [5]

Participants

APEC South Korea 2025 was the first Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting for U.S. president Donald Trump in his second presidency, [a] who re-assumed the presidency on January 20, 2025; Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, who assumed the premiership on March 14; South Korean president and host Lee Jae Myung, who assumed office on June 4; and Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi, who assumed the premiership on October 21.

Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te appointed Lin Hsin-i as Taiwan's representative to the summit, marking Lin's third time representing Taiwan at the summit. [6]

Russian president Vladimir Putin did not attend the summit, as South Korea is a state party to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant against Putin over alleged war crimes related to the Russo-Ukrainian war. It was therefore highly likely that South Korea's Ministry of Justice would be obligated to implement the warrant should Putin enter the country. As a result, Russian deputy prime minister Alexey Overchuk represented Russia at the summit, as he had done in 2023 and in 2024. [7]

It's also the second APEC meeting which Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum (who assumed the presidency on October 1, 2024, after opting to skip the 2024 APEC meeting in Peru) and Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape didn't attend in-person, and both designated Mexican Economic Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso as their respective representatives. [8] Peruvian president José Jerí, who took office on October 10 [9] , also didn't participate in-person and designed Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Teresa Mera Gómez as his representative to the summit. [10]

Trump did not attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM), participating only in the APEC CEO Summit and the U.S.–APEC Leaders' Working Dinner before departing South Korea on October 30. [11] Treasury secretary Scott Bessent represented the U.S. at the AELM. [12]

Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who assumed office on September 7, was initially expected to skip his first APEC meeting following the death of Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother on October 24, 2025. Her passing prompted a year-long mourning period for Thai government officials and a 90-day mourning period for the general public. [13] [14] [15] [16] However, Anutin later reversed his decision and attended the summit as initially planned. [17] [18]

Guests

Events

CEO Summit

The APEC CEO Summit was held on October 28–31 at Gyeongju Arts Center in North Gyeongsang Province. The theme of the summit was "Bridge, Business, Beyond". Notable speakers included : Antony Cook (Vice President - Microsoft), Jensen Huang, Joaquin Duato, Matt Garman (CMO - AWS APAC) and musician RM. [21] [22]

Women and economy forum

The APEC Women and the Economy Forum (WEF) took place on August 12 at Songdo Convensia in Incheon. The theme of the forum was "Promoting Women’s Economic Participation for Sustainable Growth". [23] [24]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 U.S. president Donald Trump only attended the APEC CEO Summit and the U.S.–APEC Leaders Working Dinner, skipping the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, [11] which was attended by treasury secretary Scott Bessent instead. [12]
  2. ↑ The president of China is legally a ceremonial office, but the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (de facto leader in one-party communist state) has always held this office since 1993 except for the months of transition.
  3. ↑ Due to the complexities of the relations between it and the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (ROC or "Taiwan") was not represented under its official name "Republic of China" or as "Taiwan". Instead, it participates in APEC under the name "Chinese Taipei". The president of the Republic of China does not attend the annual APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in person. Instead, it was generally represented by a ministerial-level official responsible for economic affairs or someone designated by the president. See List of Chinese Taipei representatives to APEC.[ citation needed ]
  4. ↑ The actual head of government of Vietnam is the Prime Minister. The President of Vietnam is legally the head of state, but the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam is the practical highest political leader in one-party communist state.

References

  1. ↑ Kim, Han-joo (June 27, 2024). "Gyeongju picked as host city for 2025 APEC summit in S. Korea". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  2. ↑ "경주·인천·제주 APEC 유치戰…내달 판가름". Hankyoreh Shinmun (in Korean). May 20, 2024.
  3. ↑ "내년 APEC 정상회의 개최 후보도시 경주·인천·제주 3파전". May 7, 2024.
  4. ↑ "경주, 2025년 APEC 개최도시로 확정". Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). June 27, 2024.
  5. ↑ "외교부 장관, 경주 보문단지 등 APEC 정상회의 주요 시설 점검". Yonhap News (in Korean). August 30, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Lin Hsin-i appointed as Taiwan's envoy to APEC Summit in Gyeongju - Focus Taiwan". Focus Taiwan - CNA English News. October 8, 2025. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Putin skips APEC over ICC arrest warrant; deputy PM to attend instead". The Moscow Times. October 28, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Which world leaders are skipping APEC summit?". The Korea Times. October 28, 2025.
  9. ↑ Aquino, Marco; Morland, Sarah (October 10, 2025). "Peru's president removed by Congress, legislature chief sworn in". Reuters. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Perú prioriza comercio, inversión y políticas de apoyo a las mipymes en APEC Corea 2025". gob.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Klug, Foster; Kim, Tong-Hyung (October 30, 2025). "Trump no-show at big Asian economic forum may risk US reputation in region". Associated Press. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Teo, Wendy (November 1, 2025). "Trade tensions threaten to overshadow Apec meetings as leaders seek consensus". The Straits Times. Retrieved November 1, 2025. The US is represented at the Apec forum by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent instead.
  13. ↑ "PM announces year-long mourning for government officials, 90 days for the public, following Queen Sirikit's passing". The Nation. October 24, 2025. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Thailand mourns as beloved Queen Mother Sirikit dies at 93". Al Jazeera . October 25, 2025. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  15. ↑ Mydans, Seth (October 24, 2025). "Sirikit, Glamorous Former Queen of Thailand Who Wielded Power, Dies at 93". The New York Times . Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Thai PM cancels APEC attendance over passing of Queen Mother Sirikit". Indian Community News. October 25, 2025. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Anutin to highlight Thailand's role at APEC Leaders' Week in South Korea". The Nation Thailand . October 29, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  18. ↑ "[APEC 2025] Leaders, senior officials of 10 APEC member economies arrive in Gyeongju". Yonhap News Agency . October 30, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  19. ↑ "[APEC 2025] Lee, IMF chief discuss S. Korea's economic outlook". Yonhap News Agency . October 31, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  20. ↑ "On behalf of the UAE President.. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi arrives in Korea to attend Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum". Government of Abu Dhabi (Media Office) . October 31, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  21. ↑ Kim, Jae-heub (October 27, 2025). "BTS' RM to deliver keynote speech at APEC CEO Summit". The Korea Herald . Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  22. ↑ "APEC CEO Summit 2025". APEC CEO Summit 2025. Archived from the original on October 27, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  23. ↑ "APEC Women's Economy Dialogue Focuses On Expanding Women's Economic Participation". Reuters . August 12, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  24. ↑ "APEC Women and the Economy Forum 2025 Held in Incheon". Seoul UNPFA. August 12, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
Preceded by APEC meetings
2025		Succeeded by
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