The 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit has wrapped up in Gyeongju City, North Gyeongsang Province, with South Korea utilising its host year to present its economic vision for the Asia-Pacific.
It mainly spotlights artificial intelligence, demographic shifts and regional trade as the cornerstones of its vision in hopes of building the right partnerships with attending countries.
Living up to the theme “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper”, the summit united leaders from 21 member economies that account for around 61 percent of global gross domestic product and half of world trade.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung kicked off the event, seeking “a new model of cooperation” to get to grips with rapid technological change and ageing populations across the region.
AI and demographic challenges take centre stage
The country headed the two-day summit this year, with talks heavily centring on demographic sustainability and AI governance.
Lee stressed that AI offers “both unprecedented opportunities and risks”, encouraging APEC members to work together on ethical and secure AI systems.
A regional framework was also established by South Korea to confront demographic decline – a challenging issue shared by many APEC members – focusing on family support, senior-care innovation and labour mobility.
Global firms announce new investments in Korea
Furthermore, a series of high-profile investment announcements was witnessed at the summit, which emphasised global confidence in South Korea’s innovation-driven economy.
Amazon Web Services, for instance, pledged at least US$5 billion by 2031 to create new AI data centres in the country, a report from Reuters cited.
Several global corporations pledged an estimated US$9 billion over the next five years in key industries such as semiconductors, biotechnology and future mobility.
Gyeongju merges tradition and technology as host city
Picked as the main venue was Gyeongju City, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom, for its significant contribution to the country’s history and culture.
Major upgrades were made to the city’s Hwabaek Convention Center (HICO) in preparation for its hosting designation, blending tradition with high-tech infrastructure.
A related report from Dong-A News noted that delegates also experienced Korea’s cultural exports – from savouring the taste of K-food to being entertained with performances promoting the nation’s creative industries and tourism – reinforcing Seoul’s “soft power diplomacy” approach.
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Stronger regional co-operation to be expected
The summit concluded with eager commitments from leaders to bolster co-operation in digital trade, supply chain resilience, and sustainable growth.
South Korea’s role in facilitating progressive discussions on AI ethics, demographic sustainability and inclusive innovation received widespread acknowledgement from member economies.
Gyeongju’s success in handling the summit likewise establishes South Korea as an essential link between advanced and emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific, serving not only as a facilitator but also as a strategic influencer in moulding the region’s digital and demographic landscape.
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