Kim Jong-un Invited as APEC Observer? Ministry of Unification "Not Discussed Yet"
- Input
- 2025-07-24 14:06:09
- Updated
- 2025-07-24 14:06:09
Although not a member country, it can be invited by the chairman's authority
The Ministry of Unification official explained to reporters at the Government Complex Seoul on the 24th, "We are not currently discussing the invitation of Chairman Kim."
The official explained, "North Korea is not an APEC member country, but the host country can lead and invite non-members to hold official talks."
President Lee recently sent APEC summit invitation letters to the remaining 20 countries, excluding Korea, the host country. North Korea was not included in the president's invitation list. However, it was stated that the possibility of additionally inviting North Korea is a matter to be reviewed by the diplomatic and unification lines.
Jung Dong-young, the candidate for Minister of Unification, was asked at the National Assembly hearing on the 14th, "Have you ever thought about inviting Chairman Kim Jong-un to APEC?" and replied, "If President Trump is likely to attend, the possibility of a North Korea-U.S. summit will dramatically increase if Kim Jong-un also attends," and "The government and the ruling and opposition parties will work together to make APEC a peace table for the Korean Peninsula."
Candidate Jung previously pushed for the invitation of Kim Jong-il, Chairman of the National Defense Commission, to the 2005 Busan APEC summit held 20 years ago. However, communication channels between the two Koreas are cut off, and North Korea is reluctant to contact South Korea and the U.S. after dispatching troops to Russia. In this situation, the possibility of Chairman Kim's participation in the Gyeongju APEC summit is considered unlikely.
rainman@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Kyung-soo