Source: Government of the Republic of Korea
Your Excellencies,
it is a great honor and pleasure to welcome you here.
We will now commence
the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
Esteemed Leaders of the APEC member economies,
His Highness Khaled of the United Arab Emirates who kindly accepted the invitation,
Together with the people of the Republic of Korea,
I welcome you warmly to Gyeongju, a capital with a history of a thousand years.
2025 was historic for the Republic of Korea,
as a year in which our economy,
through the remarkable strength of our people,
restored democracy
and fully resumed its place in the global community.
It is a distinct honor for me to have the chance to chair
this APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting
at such a momentous juncture.
On every occasion
that APEC has been exemplary in realizing
the essence of ‘multilateral cooperation’
throughout its path of outstanding achievements,
the Republic of Korea has been at the forefront of that journey.
As a founding member,
Korea has played a pivotal role in the advances made by APEC,
and laid its institutional foundation
through the ‘Seoul Declaration’ in 1991.
In 2005, at the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Busan,
the ‘Busan Roadmap’ — a comprehensive implementation plan
for advancing trade liberalization in the Asia-Pacific region—
was adopted.
The more connected and the more open we are,,
the further APEC members have moved along
on the road to prosperity.
Since the establishment of APEC,
the combined GDP of its members has increased fivefold,
and trade volume tenfold.
On this solid basis of shared prosperity,
the Republic of Korea has also truly emerged
as a strong economic power.
I trust that the APEC spirit —
one that has well proven the power of cooperation,
solidarity, and mutual trust —
will be fully demonstrated here in Gyeongju as well.
And yet, the reality we face
does not permit us to depend upon simply a rosy outlook.
We stand together at a pivotal juncture,
as the global order
undergoes profound upheaval and rapid shifts.
The free trade order is undergoing a significant change.
There is deepening uncertainty in the global economy,
and the efforts for trade and investment facilitation
are losing momentum.
The technological revolution,
exemplified by artificial intelligence,
while bringing about unprecedented challenges,
yet at the same time opens unprecedented opportunities.
Although the road ahead may not be easy,
I believe the key to overcoming the challenges
lies in APEC’s own history.
Cooperation and solidarity
are the only sure avenues that can lead us to a better future.
Given our own respective perspectives,
clearly we cannot always see things in the same way.
However, in the pursuit towards our ultimate goal of
achieving shared prosperity through our collective efforts,
we can surely move forward together.
The theme of this year’s APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting —
‘Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper’ —
carries forward the spirit of the Putrajaya Vision 2040,
the blueprint for the future of APEC
that we adopted five years ago.
In this session,
I look forward to hearing your valuable insights
on one of the core pillars of the Putrajaya Vision —
advancing ‘trade and investment.’
In the face of new challenges
arising from the rapidly changing global economic environment,
I look forward to sincere and open dialogue
and constructive discussions
on how we can further advance the vision embraced by APEC.
Distinguished Economic Leaders,
the venue for our discussions
over the next two days is
the ‘Hwabaek International Convention Center’.
In the ancient Silla Kingdom,
whenever matters of real importance arose,
the ‘Hwabaek Council’,
in which views were coordinated among those assembled,
was convened.
The approach of ‘Hwabaek’
does not demand uniformity of thought.
Rather, it seeks to achieve a symphony of harmony
among diverse voices,
pursuing an approach of balance
in which all can flourish together.
Here in Gyeongju,
a capital with a history of a thousand years
which achieved prosperity by embracing harmony and unity,
I trust we will muster the inspiration and resolve
to move forward with confidence together to meet the future.
This concludes my Opening Remarks.