Leaders and top delegates from 10 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies have arrived in Gyeongju, South Korea, ahead of the 2025 summit. U.S. President Donald Trump's visit highlights bilateral talks and a special banquet hosted by President Lee Jae Myung. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon plans to honor Korean War veterans at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan.
Leaders and top delegates from 10 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies arrived in Gyeongju, South Korea, on October 30 for the 2025 gathering of 21 regional economies. U.S. President Donald Trump arrived on Wednesday for a two-day state visit, holding bilateral talks with President Lee Jae Myung ahead of the main two-day APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting starting Friday.
The arrivals include New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Vietnamese President Luong Cuong, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mexico's Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, and Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee. Lee hosted Trump and six other top leaders for a special banquet Wednesday night.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are scheduled to arrive in Gyeongju on Thursday, with Xi entering via Gimhae International Airport in Busan and holding bilateral talks with Trump. During the summit, Lee will be joined by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
With world leaders in town, security in Gyeongju has been heightened to the highest level. Separately, Luxon, attending the APEC summit, will pay tribute Thursday at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan to honor New Zealand troops from the 1950-53 Korean War. He will be accompanied by his wife and Vice Defense Minister Kang Yun-jin. New Zealand deployed 3,794 service members to the war, with 45 killed and one missing; 32 fallen soldiers are buried at the Busan cemetery.