The 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit closed Saturday in the historic southeastern city of Gyeongju, marking a defining moment for South Korea’s global leadership two decades after it last chaired the forum in Busan. With the adoption of the landmark “Gyeongju Declaration” and unprecedented agreements on artificial intelligence, trade and regional cooperation, the summit highlighted Seoul’s growing diplomatic stature as a bridge among major powers navigating an increasingly fragmente

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Nestled 16 kilometers northeast of Gyeongju, Yangdong Village offers visitors a glimpse into the past where tiled-roof hanok, thatched cottages and the rhythm of Confucian life remain preserved amid the hum of the 21st century. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, Yangdong is not a museum but a living community, home mainly to descendants of the Wolseong Son and Yeogang Yi clans. The village unfolds along Hyeongsan River on the Angang plain, a

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — The leaders of South Korea and China agreed Saturday to reboot a regular high-level dialogue to strengthen strategic coordination on regional and global issues, pledging to turn their thaw into tangible economic cooperation and work toward peace on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul’s presidential office said. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a 100-minute, in-person summit Saturday — their first since Lee took office — on t

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — South Korea and China agreed Saturday to expand cooperation across trade, finance and emerging industries, marking a reset in bilateral ties strained by geopolitical tension and supply chain realignment. During a 95-minute summit at the Gyeongju National Museum, President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of seven memorandums of understanding, including the extension of a currency swap deal. The Korean president said the tw

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday gifted a Go table and lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl to China's President Xi Jinping, who was in the country for the first time in 11 years. Xi, who arrived on a state visit to South Korea on Thursday, coinciding with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conferences in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, received a 9-centimeter-high, 1,978 square-centimiter-large wooden Go table made of torreya wood, with each s

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung emphasized the pivotal roles of the US and China in achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula, as he was closing this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Speaking at a news conference Saturday in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, just after the conclusion of the two-day APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, Lee said that Pyongyang’s hostile actions and provocations largely reflect its desire for security guarante

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Artificial intelligence dominated the 2025 APEC CEO Summit as the overriding theme in conversations across energy, health care, infrastructure and governance. During the four days of the event held in Gyeongju, world leaders and business chiefs cast AI as the foundation of a new global economy, examining its requirements, from chip production to data center power, and the questions it poses for ethics and cross-border rules. The event also served to cast lig

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday emphasized China’s commitment to multilateral cooperation, announcing that the venue of the next APEC summit would be Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Xi made the announcement during the chair handover ceremony at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting at the Hwabaek International Convention Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province. Xi added that while Shenzhen had been a fishing village only a decade ago, the city has transformed into a modern, internation

Leaders of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation posed for a group photo on Saturday after the summit’s second session, donning scarves inspired by the traditional Korean hanbok. According to the presidential office, the scarves' design combines the traditional beauty of Korea with the geometric aesthetics of Hangeul, the Korean writing system. The presidential office further explained that the turquoise hue of the scarf draws inspiration from the phrase "semosi oksaek chima" — meaning

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — President Lee Jae Myung, in his closing remarks at the APEC summit on Saturday, vowed to continue measures toward peace with North Korea, emphasizing South Korea’s commitment to stability and dialogue on the Korean Peninsula. Noting that military confrontation, escalating tensions, and nuclear issues were undermining stability and cooperation not only on the Korean Peninsula but across the Asia-Pacific region, Lee said that under the principle of resolving i