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Gyeongju APEC summit's official website goes live

Published: 20 Feb. 2025, 17:21

SEO JI-EUN
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The official website for the 2025 APEC Summit [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the official website for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit on Thursday.

The website (apec2025.kr) provides information on APEC 2025's theme and priorities as well as details on the host cities — Jeju, Incheon, Busan and Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang — as well as updates on major APEC events scheduled throughout the year.

“With the launch of the official website … we aim to provide timely and accurate communication about the APEC Summit and prepare the summit for engaging with the public,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

APEC, the largest economic cooperation forum in the Asia-Pacific region, includes 21 member economies, including those of Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia. This year, Korea set the summit’s theme as “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper.”

The same day, the provincial government of North Gyeongsang held an inauguration ceremony for 200 volunteers ahead of the upcoming First Senior Officials Meeting (SOM1) on Thursday.

The SOM1, scheduled to take place in Gyeongju from Feb. 24 to March 9, serves as the first step in the lead-up to the APEC Summit in October, laying the groundwork for discussions on policy issues and other agenda items.

The volunteers, including 23 participants from the United States, China and Vietnam, were selected for their strong proficiency in English and various APEC member languages, as well as their experience at international conferences. They will assist with immigration, transportation, accommodation, sightseeing and overall support for the event.

The volunteers officially began their duties at the inauguration ceremony and will remain engaged until March 10.

The Korean government reaffirmed its commitment to hosting a successful APEC 2025 after News Tomato reported that U.S. President Donald Trump and American CEOs might skip the summit due to accommodation and logistic issues.

Democratic Party Rep. Chung Dong-young, who recently visited the United States as a special envoy of the National Assembly Speaker, told the outlet that the lack of presidential suites and transportation challenges between Gyeongju and the nearest airport were potential hurdles for the United States executives.

In response, the Foreign Ministry stressed that it is “proceeding with formal invitation procedures in line with APEC protocols” and that it is “preparing the necessary infrastructure to support the event” working closely with regional governments.

The ministry also noted that during the trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting between Korea, the United States and Japan on Feb. 15, Washington welcomed Korea’s role as the APEC 2025 chair and pledged to work together toward achieving meaningful summit outcomes.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]