Gyeongju: South Korea is preparing to send formal invitations to the 20 member states of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) for the forthcoming summit, contingent upon the inauguration of the new government following the June 3 presidential election, a foreign ministry official disclosed on Tuesday. The summit is scheduled to take place in the southeastern city of Gyeongju between late October and early November, with an expected attendance of up to 3,500 high-level government officials from the member economies, including their leaders.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the country is poised to conduct a presidential election next week to appoint a successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted from office on April 4 due to a failed attempt to impose martial law. A foreign ministry official, speaking to reporters on background, explained that the planning for the summit assumes participation from all member states, as it is a routine annual event. Typically, the APEC host nation issues invitations twice to inform the participating countries about the event schedule in advance of the summit.
In response to questions regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's potential visit to South Korea for the summit, the official mentioned ongoing discussions with the U.S. government. The importance of the APEC summit and President Trump's participation has been emphasized repeatedly. Arrangements are being made with the expectation that he will attend the event, although no definitive confirmation has been received from Washington regarding his participation.
Regarding Chinese President Xi Jinping's potential attendance at the forum, the official indicated a "shared understanding" with Beijing that Xi's presence at the APEC summit would present a "good opportunity to further develop bilateral relations," though no further details were provided.