APEC Summit highlights cooperation, strategic investment

The 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, the region’s largest business event, officially opened on Oct. 29. President Lee Jae-myung said solidarity in times of crisis is key to prosperity and outlined South Korea’s plan to lead multilateral cooperation amid rising U.S. and Chinese protectionism.

He added that while terms such as cooperation and inclusive growth may seem hollow in a protectionist climate, APEC’s role remains vital. Lee noted that South Korea, which demonstrated unified commitment during the 2005 Busan APEC, aims to guide multilateral collaboration again as the host nation.

The opening ceremony included President Lee, Chey Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and CEO Summit chair, and top executives from major South Korean companies, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. Executives from global technology firms, including Google, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft, also attended.

In a special address, U.S. President Donald Trump said a trade agreement with South Korea is nearing completion. He highlighted the close partnership between the two nations, including collaboration in shipbuilding.

At the summit’s Global Corporate Investment Partnership event, seven global companies, including AWS and Renault, announced plans to invest a total of $9 billion in South Korea over the next five years. The investments will target strategic industries prioritized by the South Korean government, such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, secondary batteries, future vehicles, and biotechnology.

AWS CEO Matt Garman said the company plans to invest more than $5 billion by 2031 to expand South Korea’s cloud infrastructure. Renault Korea President Nicolas Paris noted South Korea’s central role in the company’s future vehicle strategy and said existing production lines will be converted to electric vehicle facilities.


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