President Lee to face busy week of diplomacy

President Lee Jae-myung will meet separately with U.S. President Donald Trump on Oct. 29 and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov. 1. Both leaders are visiting South Korea as state guests for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju. On Oct. 30, Trump and Xi are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting to discuss easing tensions over rare earths and tariffs.

Ahead of APEC, Lee will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia on Oct. 26, where he will meet Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for the first time and coordinate a separate bilateral meeting.

Next week marks a “superweek” of diplomacy, featuring multiple multilateral and bilateral meetings, including ASEAN, Korea-U.S., U.S.-China, APEC, and Korea-China sessions. President Lee will be at the center of these events. The key question is whether Lee and Trump will reach a trade agreement during their second meeting. Analysts say the likelihood is low, as the two sides remain sharply divided on major issues. With long-term implications for the national economy, there is little incentive to rush a deal under unfavorable terms.

Lee will meet Xi for the first time since the Chinese president returns to Korea in 2014. Discussions will cover North Korean denuclearization and regional issues, providing a key opportunity to assess the future of Korea-China relations.

Global attention will focus on the U.S.-China summit. Ahead of their first meeting in Trump’s second term, both countries have heightened tensions with tighter rare earth export controls and new 100 percent tariffs. The summit could decide whether the current tariff truce holds or ends, influencing both trade and the broader U.S.-China power balance.

The outcome will also influence APEC’s focus on connectivity, innovation, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific. As host, South Korea must serve as a bridge, balancing U.S. and Chinese interests while coordinating with other member nations.

In Trump’s second term, long-standing principles of free trade and multilateralism face unprecedented challenges. Escalating U.S.-China competition has cast a shadow of a new Cold War over Northeast Asia, with a potential confrontation between the South Korea-U.S.-Japan bloc and China-Russia-North Korea. Lee has cautioned that the Korean Peninsula should not become a frontline in great-power rivalries.

South Korea must use meticulous preparation, smooth execution, and successful completion of these major diplomatic events to showcase its national prestige. The aim is to reduce uncertainty in South Korea-U.S., South Korea-China, and South Korea-Japan relations while broadening the reach of Korean diplomacy. This also includes readiness for a potential “flash summit” between the U.S. and North Korea. All efforts will rely on careful analysis and flexible, pragmatic diplomacy.