Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC 2025) Forum will commence tomorrow, Monday, 27 October, in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, under the overarching theme “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper.”
The event, which will run until 1 November 2025, will witness the participation of leaders and delegations from 21 member economies, alongside senior chief executives and decision-makers from the economic, technology, and energy sectors worldwide.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is set to open this year’s edition of the forum, one of the world’s foremost economic gatherings that brings together both public and private sectors to shape the future of the global economy.
This year’s program will spotlight key global economic priorities, including artificial intelligence and the digital economy, supply-chain security, clean energy and carbon neutrality, green finance and the circular economy, biotechnology, and cross-border trade.
Sessions will also explore cutting-edge topics such as bioeconomy, health technology, and human capacity building in the AI era, featuring insights from leading international experts.
Global Economic Leaders
The forum will host an elite lineup of global economic and technology leaders, including Jensen Huang (CEO, NVIDIA), Jane Fraser (CEO, Citigroup), Tim Cook (CEO, Apple), Sundar Pichai (CEO, Google), Brad Smith (President, Microsoft), and Matt Garman (CEO, Amazon Web Services).
Bill Gates and Elon Musk are also expected to attend, which will mark their first official visits to South Korea.
From Korea, prominent industry figures such as Chey Tae-won (Chairman, SK Group and Chairman, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Lee Jae-yong (Chairman, Samsung Electronics), Chung Eui-sun (Chairman, Hyundai Motor Group), and Koo Kwang-mo (Chairman, LG Group) will take part in the discussions. Their agendas will focus on sustainability and carbon neutrality, semiconductor and AI innovation, future mobility and the hydrogen economy, as well as visions for the green transition and advanced battery systems.
The forum will form part of APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, running from 27 October to 1 November, and will feature a series of high-level meetings and policy dialogues.
Senior officials will convene on 27–28 October for preparatory discussions, followed by the APEC CEO Summit (28–31 October), expected to draw more than 1,700 global business leaders.
The event also will include the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Trade and Diplomacy (29–30 October), which will focus on enhancing economic integration and trade cooperation. The APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) will take place on 31 October–1 November, culminating in the adoption of the forum’s official joint declaration.
The event will welcome leaders from the 21 APEC member economies, alongside senior representatives of major global economic institutions.
The Korean Preparatory Committee announced that logistical and security arrangements have been completed following a recent site visit involving more than 180 delegates from member economies.
APEC 2025 final communiqué is expected to reaffirm a collective commitment to responsible innovation, green growth, and support for the digital economy, reinforcing APEC’s role as a key platform for shaping the global economic agenda for the coming decade.
By hosting APEC 2025, South Korea aims to consolidate its position as a global innovation hub and to strengthen collaboration between governments and the private sector in addressing emerging economic and technological challenges, paving the way for a more sustainable and interconnected future for the Asia-Pacific region and the world.
