Foreign Ministry: "Trump to Visit Korea During APEC Week"... Unlikely to Attend Leaders' Summit

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on October 13 that President Donald Trump of the United States will visit South Korea during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit week, which will be held in Gyeongju at the end of this month.

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by Yonhap News

On this day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the media via text message, stating, "President Trump is expected to visit South Korea during the APEC summit week (October 27 to November 1) and attend the possible APEC events." The ministry added, "It is also expected that President Trump will have meaningful diplomatic engagements with other leaders attending APEC." This explanation was provided as a rebuttal to some media reports suggesting that President Trump's visit would likely be a 'one-day trip.'

The ministry explained, "During this visit, a South Korea-United States summit meeting is also scheduled, building on the trust and bonds established between the two leaders during our president's visit to Washington in August." The ministry further stated, "President Trump's visit will mark the completion of reciprocal visits between the leaders of South Korea and the United States within five months of our government's inauguration. Our government is preparing a reception and a thorough schedule befitting this significance."

According to diplomatic sources, President Trump's visit to South Korea is likely to be for one night and two days, starting on the 29th. In this case, President Trump is expected to attend only certain events, such as the APEC CEO Summit held during this period, and will likely not participate in the actual leaders' summit scheduled for the 31st.

Despite the recent uncertainties in the global situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "As this year's APEC chair, the government will continue to consult with APEC member countries to ensure that the summit delivers a message of cooperation and communication for the future shared prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region." The ministry added, "Through active bilateral summit meetings with the leaders visiting South Korea for APEC, we will pursue practical diplomacy focused on our national interests to achieve tangible outcomes that our people can feel."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.