Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Negara Brunei Darussalam

This year, the Republic of Korea will welcome world leaders to the historic city of Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, for the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting to be held from October 31 to November 1. As the Asia-Pacific region’s largest forum for economic cooperation, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) brings together 21 member economies that account for about 61 percent of global GDP and a half of world trade. Since its launch in 1989, APEC has served as an incubator of ideas, where members present diverse views, forge consensus, and work collectively toward regional prosperity through economic cooperation.

APEC “2025”

The 2025 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) carries special significance as it is being held at a time of heightened geopolitical and geoeconomic uncertainty. At this year’s meeting, all 21 member economies will come together to discuss pathways to our region’s shared prosperity. Under the theme and priorities “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper,” leaders will chart a vision for our region’s shared prosperity while discussing ways to revitalize free trade, investment, and economic cooperation amid today’s global uncertainties.

• Connect: advancing trade and investment within the Asia-Pacific region and strengthening connectivity through physical, institutional, and people-to-people exchanges.

• Innovate: promoting digital innovation by narrowing the digital divide and AI cooperation as a digital powerhouse.

• Prosper: pursuing sustainable and inclusive growth through collective responses to pressing global issues, such as energy, food security, and demographic shifts.

Against this backdrop, reaffirming APEC’s commitment to dialogue and cooperation will itself stand as a constructive signal to the international community. As APEC is fundamentally an intergovernmental forum that has nonetheless placed strong emphasis on the engagement of the private sector and public-private partnership, the APEC CEO Summit and many other business-related events will be held alongside the Leaders’ Meeting.

APEC “Deliverables” 

As Chair, Korea will put forward two key deliverables that address transformative trends shaping the economic and social landscape of the Asia-Pacific region: AI Cooperation and Responding to Demographic Shifts. Both initiatives are designed to present a shared vision and concrete avenues of cooperation among member economies.

• AICooperation: setting an APEC-wide direction for AI utilization by focusing on capacity building and the creation of a sustainable AI investment ecosystem.

• Responding to Demographic Shifts: proposing cooperative policies to build responsive systems for aging societies, strengthen human resource mobility, and promote innovation in healthcare and technology to turn demographic challenges into opportunities for future growth and innovation.

These subjects exert a broad impact across the Asia-Pacific’s economic and social spheres, yet this will be the first time that APEC Leaders collectively discuss and seek consensus on joint responses at the leaders’ level. Korea expects the 2025 AELM to deliver tangible results, building on the outcomes of ministerial meetings held earlier this year in areas such as trade, human resources development, education, digital technology and AI, food security, as well as women’s empowerment. In addition, further agreements or ideas discussed among members on urgent and pressing issues may also emerge as important outcomes of the meetings.

APEC “Korea”

Korea’s connection with APEC dates all the way back to its inception in 1989. Since then, Korea has contributed consistently to the forum’s growth and development. APEC was first officially proposed in a speech delivered in Seoul by then-Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawk, and later that same year was launched as a ministerial-level meeting among 12 members, including Korea. In 1993, it was elevated to a leaders’ meeting. Building on this foundation, Korea hosted the 2005 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Busan, and twenty years later, once again assumes the Chair and host in 2025.

As the first multilateral leaders’ meeting to be hosted under Korea’s new administration, this year’s AELM underscores Korea’s enduring commitment to advancing the region’s economic cooperation and shared vision. Beyond that, it also offers an important opportunity to showcase Korea’s democratic resilience and maturity—demonstrating how Korea has overcome domestic challenges and strengthened its democratic institutions.

APEC “Gyeongju”

This year’s AELM will be held in Gyeongju, the ancient capital of a millennium-old kingdom and center of its culture. Serving as the capital of Silla Dynasty from 57 BC to AD 935, Gyeongju flourished for nearly a thousand years and is home to a remarkable concentration of UNESCO World Heritage sites. The city vividly reflects Korea’s long history and cultural identity.

Hosting the Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju provides a special opportunity to showcase to APEC members the breadth and depth of Korean culture, which today enjoys global recognition and popularity. Participants will not only encounter the splendor of Silla’s cultural and artistic legacy but also experience modern cafes, restaurants, and cultural venues, enjoying the harmony of tradition and modernity. Gyeongju thus offers visitors a place where Korea’s history, flavors, and sounds come together in a unique cultural experience.