Signal Korea's AI Seoul Summit and 2025 APEC Gyeongju summit diplomacy

Summary

Korea co-hosted the second AI safety summit, the AI Seoul Summit, with the United Kingdom in May 2024 and put forward safety, innovation and inclusiveness as three core values for AI. As host of the 2025 APEC summit in Gyeongju, it secured adoption of a leaders' declaration and an APEC AI Initiative. The report credits Korea with an important role in having the Gyeongju declaration set out connection, innovation and prosperity as future directions for regional cooperation. Under connection, the declaration envisions the world's most dynamic and interconnected regional economy in services, digital, technology, trade facilitation, supply chains and cultural and creative industries. The authors cite these events as evidence that Korea can lead global AI initiatives and multilateral agendas from a middle position between the two powers.