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Remodeling was underway on the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center on Sept. 15, 2025, with around a month left until the APEC summit. (Yonhap)

Only a month is left until the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea. As the rivalry between the US and China intensifies and American tariffs reshape the world economy, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will join key leaders from across the world in Gyeongju for a diplomatic wrestling match that will likely have major ramifications for the future of the international order. 

This will be the first time South Korea has hosted the summit since 2005, when it was held in Busan. This year’s forum will run Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. 

In attendance will be 21 member economies, including South Korea, the US, Japan, Australia, and Canada, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan. Attendees will discuss topics like AI cooperation and demographic changes under the theme “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper.”

As this will be the first in-person encounter between Trump and Xi since the former took office for a second term, there is a possibility of a US-China summit occurring alongside various multilateral meetings. The South Korean administration is currently making arrangements for bilateral summits with the leaders of the US and China on the sidelines of the forum. 

With Trump making the trip to South Korea for the summit, some observers are speculating about a potential US-North Korea summit. Trump has consistently indicated that he’s willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and Kim has indicated that he has a “good memory” of their interactions. Such comments have fueled anticipation of a summit. 

By Seo Young-ji, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]