APEC Leaders to Convene in Korea Amid Heightened Global Interest

(Photo: Front view of the “Smile of Silla,” a human-face tile from the Silla period at the National Gyeongju Museum. This timeless design inspired the APEC 2025 Korea emblem, alongside a butterfly symbol of connection and innovation.)

South Korea- Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) will gather in Korea at the end of October for the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, a pivotal moment as the region continues to navigate uncertainty in the global economy.

The meeting will bring together the leaders of APEC’s 21 member economies, including the United States and China, underscoring APEC’s role as a platform for dialogue, cooperation, and practical solutions to shared challenges. Recent announcements of high-level bilateral engagements on the margins of the meeting highlight the significance that economies attach to APEC as a venue for constructive exchange.

“President Trump’s announcement that he would meet President Xi at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Korea demonstrates the value of APEC as a platform for dialogue,” said Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat.

“The usefulness of APEC is further shown by the forum’s ability to reach consensus in challenging areas, including trade and the digital economy under Korea’s leadership,” Pedrosa added.

The Leaders’ Meeting will take place under Korea’s host year theme, “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper.” It will be preceded by the APEC Ministerial Meeting—bringing together the forum’s Foreign and Trade Ministers—along with the concluding Senior Officials’ Meeting, marking a week of important gatherings in Gyeongju from 27 October to 1 November.

“We are seeing a moderation in trade across the Asia-Pacific, with exports expected to grow modestly this year after last year’s strong performance,” said Carlos Kuriyama, Director of the APEC Policy Support Unit.

“Sustaining momentum will depend on reducing policy uncertainty by giving clear signals to the business community, including those in digital and AI-enabled sectors. APEC offers a forum where economies can collaborate on structural reforms, such as digital skills development and adaptive economic policy, and the Leaders’ Meeting in Korea provides a critical opportunity to deepen that cooperation and unlock more inclusive, resilient growth.”

The gathering in Korea will cap a year of intensive policy discussions and initiatives across APEC, ranging from advancing digital and AI cooperation to addressing demographic change. Leaders are expected to chart pathways to deliver on the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 and its implementation plan, the Aotearoa Plan of Action.