South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday urged Asia-Pacific nations to strengthen cooperation on artificial intelligence and demographic issues, saying shared innovation and coordinated policies were essential for the region’s stability and growth.
Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Seoul, Lee said the “APEC AI Initiative,” proposed by South Korea, reflected his government’s goal of turning technological transformation into opportunity. “The APEC AI Initiative is the outcome of our strong will to transform a grand change into an opportunity,” he said at the opening of a session focused on AI and demographic change.
South Korea, the 2025 APEC host, has set an ambitious target of becoming one of the world’s top three AI powers. But it faces mounting demographic pressure: its 2024 birthrate was the lowest globally, and its aging population threatens long-term economic competitiveness.
Lee said Seoul had proposed a regional framework to tackle what he called a “demographic crisis” shared by many APEC members. “The changing demographic structure represents a serious and significant crisis that impacts all aspects of society, including economic growth, the labor market, childcare, and welfare,” he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attended the session, which explored how the 21-member bloc, representing about half of global trade and 61 percent of world GDP, can balance the promise of AI with the realities of shrinking workforces.
On the sidelines of the summit, Lee met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Friday, as the U.S. chipmaker announced new partnerships with South Korean technology companies to expand AI development. South Korea has positioned itself as a key regional hub for advanced semiconductors and digital innovation, with government-backed initiatives to integrate AI into manufacturing, healthcare, and public administration.
Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to South Korea concludes Saturday with a state dinner and summit hosted by President Lee. The visit marks the first by a Chinese leader in nearly six years and comes as Lee seeks to recalibrate Seoul’s ties with both Washington and Beijing.
Lee, who took office in June after the removal of his predecessor over an attempted martial law decree, faces the twin challenge of sustaining South Korea’s export-driven economy and easing tensions with North Korea amid intensifying U.S.-China rivalry.
While U.S. President Donald Trump skipped the APEC leaders’ meeting, China sought to cast itself as a defender of open trade. Xi announced that Shenzhen will host the next APEC summit, signaling Beijing’s intention to lead regional economic cooperation.
South Korea is also seeking the easing of Chinese restrictions on its entertainment industry, which have remained in place since Seoul’s 2017 deployment of the U.S.-led THAAD missile defense system. Lee’s administration hopes Xi’s visit could pave the way for renewed cultural exchanges and investment.
Africa Digital News, New York
