S. Korea to show 'K-Democracy is back' with APEC 2025 in 100 days

We are now counting down 99 days to the launch of the APEC leaders' meeting in the Korean city of Gyeongju this autumn.

That being said, my colleague Oh Soo-young recently sat down with a senior member of the organizing committee for his thoughts on the upcoming meeting and more.

Do take a listen.

South Korea is marking the revival of K-Democracy and setting the tone to inspire regional cooperation to "Connect, Innovate, and Prosper" amid mounting global complexity.

Under the theme of Building a Sustainable Tomorrow, South Korea will host the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum this October in the historic city of Gyeongju.

Leaders from 21 member economies will tackle emerging challenges ranging from artificial intelligence and demographic shifts to sustainable and inclusive growth.

"As this year's chair, the Republic of Korea has proposed cooperation on AI and addressing demographic changes as a key initiatives among many other global issues.

We are working together with the member economists to adopt these initiatives as a standalone document alongside the Gyeongju Declaration at the leaders' meeting in late October."

Q. South Korea is a far more prominent player than it was when it hosted APEC about 20 years ago.

What's the significance of South Korea chairing this year's summit in 2025?

"Over the years, Korea has filled trust and meaningful contributions in the international community.

Building on that, at the APEC Economy Leaders' Meeting, which is returning to Korea after 20 years will serve as a great opportunity for us to show that we've restored our K-Democracy and that Korea is back on track after the political challenges we faced last year The emblem and the smile of Shilla not only reflect our warmth and hospitality and openness with Korea's commitment in fulfilling our role as a responsible member of the international community."

Korea's chairship comes at a pivotal time, and showing the country is back on track in globl governance, after the martial law declaration last December compromised diplomacy at the highest level.

Seoul is also positioning itself as a solutions partner --sharing lessons from its own policy tools and technological transformation to help address common regional concerns.

"Through this opportunity, we hope to share the experience we've accumulated and offer innovative solutions to help address the challenges faced by the Asia APEC region."

A key aspect of this year's approach is broader public engagement—particularly with younger generations.

"APEC pursues inclusivity and sustainability, but these cannot be achieved without public participation

We are also working to create platforms where young people can take the lead in discussing and sharing their visions for the Asia Pacific region.

As part of this effort, MOFA recently held an open call for youth presenters for the public-private dialogue. We even welcomed 16 young people to join our property office as an intern."

Last May, Korea's inclusive approach led to the launch of a Future Prosperity Fund—dedicated to youth entrepreneurship, digital skills training, and policy research.

Korea committed one million U.S. dollars in seed funding.

As the countdown to October 31st begins, Korea is stepping up outreach with a series of promotional initiatives—including youth-led video campaigns, exhibitions, cultural festivals, and regional media engagement.

"With the active participation of the public at the K we will continue to highlight the unique charms of Korea and the host city of Gyeongju while also carrying out a variety of promotional activities that showcased APEC vision, the goals and values of the K APEC and the outcomes we hope to achieve. Through these efforts, we aim to create a more welcoming and participatory atmosphere leading up to a successful leaders' meeting."

Sure, and all this buildup of anticipation is extremely important, especially in creating this kind of conducive atmosphere for cooperation.

And well, we have great expectations for this K-APEC.

Thank you so much for making time for us today, and see you in Gyeongju.

Thank you.