Gyeongju Takes the Global Stage: Korea Prepares for the 2025 APEC Summit 

By Hyeokgi Hong

Global leaders such as U.S. President Donald J. Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang are heading to the historic countryside city of Gyeongju, South Korea. Historically, when such prominent leaders visited Korea, they only made brief stops in Seoul, the capital city. However, this time they are traveling to Gyeongju because the 2025 APEC Summit will be held there in November 2025. APEC, which stands for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, represents a major opportunity for Korea to promote itself to the world. APEC's goal is to support sustained economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

During an interview, South Korea’s Prime Minister Kim said he has been fully devoted to this event, spending most of his time preparing for it. This shows how important the 2025 Gyeongju APEC is to Korea. Not only Prime Minister Kim, but President Lee himself also took part as an actor in the official APEC promotional video. Usually, presidents take the main role in such videos, but in Korea’s APEC video, President Lee appeared as an airport worker. K-pop star G-Dragon, chef Ahn, and idol Jang Won-young also appeared in the video.What's interesting is that all celebrities participated without any payment given. The video quickly went viral, gaining over 18 million views in Youtube within four weeks after its release.

As shown in the video, Korea chose Gyeongju City for APEC because it is considered the most traditionally Korean city in the country. Recent research shows that for many international visitors, Seoul is the first city that comes to mind when they think of Korea, but Korea has many culturally rich cities where visitors can experience both advanced infrastructure and deep-rooted traditions. This is why South Korea selected Gyeongju as the host city for the 2025 APEC Summit.

So, what will be the major message of this year’s APEC? Many specialists and experts expect that Trump and Xi will meet in Gyeongju to discuss industrial growth and tariff issues. Korean President Lee may also meet both leaders to negotiate tariff and tax agreements. Along with world leaders, CEOs of major global companies are coming to Gyeongju to discuss investment opportunities and corporate cooperation, which could potentially lead to rising stock prices.

It would be a wonderful event if everything goes according to plan, but there are also some concerns surrounding the summit. First, Donald J. Trump may not meet President Lee. Frankly, President Trump’s main goal is to strike a deal with China, not Korea, so even though APEC is being held in Korea, he might overlook President Lee. Second, the U.S. and South Korea have yet to finalize their tariff agreement. If they fail to reach a deal during this summit, both nations could face a prolonged economic conflict, which would negatively affect both sides. With global attention focused on the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju, the world is watching closely to see whether Korea can achieve a successful outcome—or not.