The Office of the President stated, "K-culture will become a driving force for growth in the Asia-Pacific region." The basic framework of "connectivity, innovation, and prosperity" is adopted, along with the will to cooperate with AI and respond to demographic changes. The documents "AI Initiative" and "Joint Framework for Responding to Population Changes" were also adopted.
The Office of the President announced that at the 'Retreat' session held on the second day of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, chaired by President Lee Jae-myung, member leaders adopted a total of three documents, including the 'APEC Leaders' Declaration on Gyeongju,' the 'APEC AI Initiative,' and the 'APEC Joint Framework for Responding to Demographic Changes.'
'Retreat' is an APEC summit session that operates as a venue for free and in-depth exchange of opinions through strengthening ties among member leaders, without being bound by formal procedures.
First, the "Gyeongju Declaration" encompassed key discussions on APEC's core issues, including trade and investment, digital innovation, and inclusive growth, based on APEC's three key priorities this year: connectivity, innovation, and prosperity. It also encapsulated the members' shared understanding and commitment to cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation and addressing demographic changes.
This declaration is significant in that it outlines a direction for comprehensive cooperation among the 21 members on key global economic issues, including trade, amidst deepening uncertainty in the international economy. Through this, APEC members are seen as restoring a spirit of solidarity and cooperation and establishing a foundation for joint efforts to promote economic prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
In particular, the Gyeongju Declaration recognized the cultural and creative industries as a new growth engine for the Asia-Pacific region and explicitly stated the need for cooperation. As the first APEC summit document to explicitly address the cultural and creative industries, this is expected to serve as a catalyst for establishing K-culture as a growth engine in the Asia-Pacific region.
At the closing press conference of the APEC summit that day, President Lee Jae-myung explained the ‘Gyeongju Declaration’ by saying, “It contains APEC’s mid- to long-term future blueprint for a dynamic and peaceful Asia-Pacific community, as well as the members’ will to realize the Putrajaya Vision 2040,” and “It also includes the will of members to cooperate for the recovery and growth of the Asia-Pacific region.”
In particular, he added, "We need inclusive growth that creates new growth engines through innovation and equally shares the fruits of growth."
The 'APEC AI Initiative' aims to enable all members to participate in the AI transition process and share the benefits of AI technology advancements by ▲promoting economic growth through AI innovation, ▲strengthening capabilities and disseminating AI benefits, and ▲expanding private sector investment in resilient AI infrastructure.
The APEC AI Initiative is APEC's first codified joint vision for AI and the first summit-level agreement on AI involving both the United States and China. It is particularly significant in that it reflects our government's basic AI policies and practical AI cooperation plans, such as the establishment of an "AI Basic Society" and an "Asia-Pacific AI Center."
Regarding the APEC AI Initiative, the President stated, "It contains various policy directions to ensure that all members in the region participate in the AI transition and share its benefits." He added, "In particular, it emphasizes economic growth through innovation, fostering cooperation among stakeholders—the private sector, government, and academia—and AI infrastructure. This is the first shared vision for AI in APEC history."
The 'APEC Joint Framework for Responding to Population Change' was established based on the recognition that population changes, such as low birth rates and aging populations, are common challenges within the region, and is APEC's first comprehensive population cooperation initiative.
This document contains policy directions and cooperation plans for five key areas: ▲building a resilient social system, ▲modernizing human resource development, ▲strengthening technology-based health and care services, ▲enhancing economic capacity for all, and ▲promoting intra-regional dialogue and cooperation.
The Office of the President assessed that this laid the foundation for cooperation to respond to changes in employment and industrial structure for future generations and to transform demographic changes into new growth opportunities through strengthening youth capabilities and technological innovation.
The Office of the President announced that our government plans to continue to lead the way in strengthening cooperation and policy coordination within the region by hosting the 'APEC Population Policy Forum' next year.
The president emphasized that the adoption of these documents at this APEC summit was “a result of the clear will of APEC economic leaders to make the Asia-Pacific region a region of peace and prosperity, which made this achievement possible for all of us,” and that “I am proud that these documents will clearly show the path APEC should take in the future.”
Meanwhile, the Office of the President reported that South Korea, as the chair of APEC, held 14 ministerial-level meetings over the past year and conducted all-night negotiations leading up to the summit to reach an agreement on the agenda, mediating the differences in positions among members including the U.S., China, Japan, and Russia. As a result, they were able to reach an agreement on all three issues, including the Gyeongju Declaration.
Through this summit, APEC is evaluated to have set a new milestone in cooperation toward the common goals of inclusive and sustainable growth, prosperity through innovation, and strengthening humanity's shared resilience to the future.