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President Lee Jae-myung greets East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão during the Korea–ASEAN Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center on October 27. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung has embarked on what officials are calling a “diplomatic super week,” a four-day stretch of back-to-back summits and multilateral engagements surrounding the APEC 2025 Summit in Gyeongju.

Arriving in Gyeongju on October 28 after returning from the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur the previous evening, President Lee will preside over the APEC sessions from October 29 to November 1 as chair of the host nation. The theme for this year’s summit is “Creating a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connectivity, Innovation, and Prosperity.”

The event marks the first time in 20 years that South Korea has hosted APEC, and leaders from most of the 21 member economies are attending.

Alongside the multilateral agenda, Lee will engage in a flurry of bilateral diplomacy with U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi—a trio of meetings expected to shape the future of Korea’s diplomacy, economy, and security.

On October 29, Lee will hold a Korea-U.S. summit with Trump to finalize key aspects of the two nations’ tariff negotiations, including the establishment of a $350 billion (₩500 trillion) investment fund to support U.S. industry and trade cooperation.

His first-ever meeting with Xi Jinping, scheduled for November 1, is anticipated to mark a new chapter in Seoul–Beijing relations. Observers are watching closely how Lee will balance pragmatic diplomacy amid ongoing U.S.–China tensions.

Lee’s summit with Japan’s Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae on October 30 will also be their first face-to-face encounter, widely viewed as a potential turning point for bilateral relations built on recently revived “shuttle diplomacy.”

In addition to the summits, Lee plans to meet with major global business figures attending APEC—including NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang—to promote investment and strengthen technological partnerships, continuing his signature “sales diplomacy.”

Attention is also on whether Lee can announce a “Gyeongju Declaration” as a symbolic outcome of the summit and whether he will play a behind-the-scenes role as a “peacemaker” should a surprise meeting occur between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Lee’s official APEC schedule begins on October 29 with a special keynote at the APEC CEO Summit, followed by a luncheon with members of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) on October 31, and a state banquet that evening welcoming global leaders and business executives.