Road to Gyeongju, 2025 APEC Summit

From Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region will gather in Gyeongju, Korea, for the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. Established in 1989, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) aims to promote open trade, sustainable growth and regional integration among Pacific Rim economies. In today’s turbulent geopolitical climate, it remains vital for fostering dialogue, resilience and cooperation toward shared prosperity. For countries like the Philippines and Korea, APEC offers a platform to meet challenges together – with a unity of purpose, a storied past and a common vision for the future.

The Philippines is no stranger to interconnectivity and multilateralism. Long before the internet and FTAs, the Philippines sat at the crossroads of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade, the world’s first sustained Trans-Pacific maritime trade network. From 1565 to 1815, Spanish galleons sailed between the Philippines and Mexico, ferrying Chinese silk, Mexican silver, Southeast Asian spices and European exports, thereby serving as a conduit of different stories, cultures and ideas. The Galleon Trade’s legacy was not only economic, but reflected Filipino resilience, adaptability and esprit de corps.

While serving in the United Nations before, I saw how multilateral cooperation is sustained not just by institutions, but by empathy and shared memories. As the UN celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, countries like the Philippines stand out for their contributions to peacekeeping and diplomacy, as well as for their openness and common values. After more than two years as Korean Ambassador in the Philippines, I’ve seen how global engagement is intrinsic to the Filipino identity: from 16th-century sailors to today’s overseas workers, Filipinos have long served as cultural bridges across continents.

Seen from this historical vantage point, APEC is a 21st-century successor to early trans-Pacific linkages. Where galleons once carried silk and silver, we now exchange data, services and innovation – driven by consensus, not decree. In a world increasingly characterized by geopolitical uncertainty, economic fragmentation and the accelerating impacts of climate change, the value of the upcoming APEC summit is more pronounced than ever. As the largest regional economic forum – representing around 40 percent of the global population and over 50 percent of global trade – APEC serves as a crucial platform for collaboration.

The 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju, themed Building A Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper, is poised to promote inclusive innovation and leverage technologies – from AI to digital infrastructure – to the benefit of all. For the Philippines, this is timely as it accelerates digital transformation and aims for upper middle-income status. The moment also aligns well with the Philippines’ chairmanship of the ASEAN in 2026. Active engagement with its APEC partners will certainly support the Philippines’ twin goals of promoting equitable, sustainable development and reinforcing its national image as a force for good.

On the bilateral front, the upcoming APEC Summit in Gyeongju offers a golden opportunity for the leaders of our two nations to cultivate personal rapport and mutual trust. This is particularly timely as ties between Manila and Seoul was elevated to a Strategic Partnership last year. Today, Korea stands among the Philippines’ top foreign investors and is its largest source of tourists – clear indicators of robust economic synergy and ever-deepening people-to-people ties.

Since taking office, President Lee Jae-myung has been leading a whole-of-nation effort to ensure the APEC Summit’s resounding success. The leaders will also be captivated by Gyeongju’s charms. Once the ancient capital of the millennia-old Silla Dynasty and home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites, the city is often described as a “museum without walls.” Its unique blend of tradition and innovation makes it a most fitting stage for this historic gathering.

In some ways, Gyeongju evokes parallels with Vigan of Ilocos Sur. At first glance, they may seem worlds apart, one shaped by the Spanish Empire, the other by Korean dynasties and Buddhist thought. But walking through their cobblestone streets – past centuries-old houses and churches in Vigan and hanok and temples in Gyeongju – one can see the same reverence for history, the same care in preservation and the same dialogue between the ancient and the modern.

One such nexus is the story of Moon Sun-deuk – a Joseon-era fish trader rescued from a shipwreck by Filipino fishermen – who became the first Korean-Filipino interpreter after spending time in Vigan. His story, depicted in the film The Book of Fish, reminds us that our ties run deeper than treaties. Like the Galleon Trade, the sea connected people, not just goods.

Today, soft power continues this dialogue on stories of different cultures. K-Pop Demon Hunters, the hit animated film, draws on traditional Korean motifs like Derpy the tiger and Sussie the magpie – traditional symbols of good fortune – reimagined for modern audiences. When he met the diplomatic corps in Korea, President Lee Jae-myung said, “As the recent global craze for K-Pop Demon Hunters, which continues to break streaming records day after day, demonstrates, culture has become a global community beyond geographical and linguistic boundaries.”

It is in this spirit that APEC 2025 will take place. Amid Gyeongju’s antique structures and high-tech venues, leaders will discuss ways to foster inclusive prosperity in a region defined by diversity. As we look forward to this pivotal summit, we are reminded of how far we’ve come: from galleons to gigabytes, from Moon Sun-deuk to the K-sPop Demon Hunters, from old-world trade to cutting-edge collaboration. And in doing so, we also see the threads that continue to connect us.

Indeed, the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju invites us to open a dialogue between our shared past and the future, for a better tomorrow.

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Lee Sang-hwa is the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines.