The key facts

  • Lee Jae-myung will attend the ASEAN summit in the Philippines and the APEC summit in China next week
  • National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac said the president intends to build trust with world leaders through bilateral and multilateral meetings
  • A South Korean presidential official considered the likelihood of DPRK-US talks on the sidelines of the summit to be low

Two summits in one trip

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will travel next week first to the Philippines, where the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will take place, and then to China for the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The plans of the head of state were announced by his National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac.

Goals of the visit

According to Wi Sung-lac, during the trips Lee Jae-myung intends to strengthen mutual trust and cooperation with other world leaders through bilateral and multilateral meetings, as well as to emphasize South Korea's role in addressing key regional issues — in the areas of security and the economy.

The question of possible DPRK participation

At the same time, the presidential office of South Korea expressed doubts that DPRK leader Kim Jong-un would come to the APEC summit or hold talks there with the United States. 'It is hard to say that the probability of talks (between the DPRK and the US) is zero, but I think it may be low,' said an anonymous presidential official. Thus, Pyongyang's participation in the summit remains an open question, and there are no official confirmations from its side in the publications.