Leaders from the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies concluded their annual summit in Gyeongju, adopting the 2025 APEC Leaders’ Gyeongju Declaration under the theme “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow.” The meeting, held from October 31 to November 1, capped a year of discussions across South Korea’s major cities, including Seoul, Busan, Jeju and Incheon.

The declaration outlines collective commitments across three priorities — Connect, Innovate, Prosper — aimed at driving regional integration, advancing digital and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation and ensuring inclusive, sustainable growth.

Under Connect, leaders reaffirmed support for open trade and investment, deeper regional integration through the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) agenda and efforts to strengthen supply chain resilience via the Supply Chain Connectivity Framework Action Plan (2022–2026). They endorsed the new Strengthened and Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform (SEAASR 2026–2030) and emphasized anti-corruption cooperation and quality infrastructure development.

In the Innovate section, the declaration acknowledged the role of science, technology and AI in reshaping economies. Leaders endorsed the new APEC AI Initiative to promote responsible, inclusive and human-centered AI development, alongside continued implementation of the APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap (AIDER).

Under Prosper, leaders pledged to expand opportunities for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), address demographic shifts through the Collaborative Framework for Demographic Changes and strengthen cooperation on energy security, food systems, marine protection and health resilience.

The document highlights AI’s potential to enhance trade facilitation, energy management and digital health systems. Leaders also underscored the importance of sustainable, inclusive policies to ensure that the benefits of technological transformation are widely shared.

APEC members thanked South Korea for hosting the 2025 meetings and confirmed upcoming hosts: China (2026), Viet Nam (2027) and Mexico (2028), among others.

The Gyeongju Declaration reaffirms APEC’s long-term vision of an “open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community” by 2040.