K-pop star G-Dragon has been appointed as the honorary ambassador for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, the Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday, as Seoul ramps up preparations for the event, with 100 days remaining.
The singer was appointed because he embodies APEC’s values of "connectivity and sustainability" as a symbol of creativity and innovation, and was the perfect figure to share these values "both here and abroad," according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry, which is part of the summit preparation committee.
As the APEC ambassador, he will appear in promotional videos to spread the key message of the summit to a global audience, the ministry explained.
Shin Woo-seok, creative director and head of the production company Dolphiners Films, will produce the APEC promotional materials.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Wednesday expressed anticipation for the 2025 APEC Leaders' Meeting as an opportunity to showcase to the world South Korea’s recovery from the political turmoil it endured during the administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
“The upcoming APEC summit (in Gyeongju) is different from other regular global events,” Kim said during a meeting of the summit preparation committee held at the Seoul government complex.
“It will be (an opportunity) to showcase the democratic power of South Korea -- which has overcome an insurrection (triggered by the martial law debacle) through the power of our people -- as well as our cultural dignity to the world.”
The prime minister is the head of the summit preparation committee comprising related government agencies, including the Foreign Ministry, municipal governments and business organizations.
During the meeting, Kim called for thorough preparations ahead of the summit, set to kick off in around 100 days on Oct. 31 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
“The real task is to share the history and cultural dignity of both Korea and Gyeongju with the world, aligned with the goal of getting a hundredfold return on our investment,” Kim said. “It could be too late to fix things after September, when the preparations are more or less done. This is why we must thoroughly inspect and review the preparation process and why I have decided to visit the summit site in Gyeongju every week.”
Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-a, who attended the meeting, said that they plan to “greet the leaders” of the 21 APEC economies with readiness and vowed full efforts to host a successful event. She explained that all construction and preparations for infrastructure will be completed by the end of September and the final inspections and rehearsals will be carried out in October.
Earlier this week, the presidential office said it had sent invitation letters to the leaders of the other 20 APEC member economies, including China, Japan, Russia and the US.
Though the White House has yet to confirm whether US President Donald Trump will join the upcoming APEC summit, Seoul's new Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said in a recent parliamentary hearing that the likelihood of Trump attending is "considerably high.” Cho, however, did not go into the reasons for his claim.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com
