Gyeongju, South Korea—The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2025 Economic Leaders' Week (AELW), culminating in the Leaders' Meeting (Oct 31–Nov 1) and the CEO Summit (Oct 28–31), is drawing an unprecedented assembly of global AI and Cloud technology leaders to Gyeongju. This massive influx of C-level executives signals an intense focus on digital innovation and AI cooperation, a key priority for APEC 2025, officially themed "Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper."
The high-profile attendance is viewed as a crucial opportunity for Korean AI and software firms to secure global investment and international partnerships. Confirmed attendees from the global tech sector include NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, AWS CEO Matt Garman, Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith, and OpenAI CSO Jason Kwon. The possible attendance of other industry titans, such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Apple CEO Tim Cook, has further intensified the global spotlight on the ancient city. Other confirmed speakers and high-level attendees include Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, Johnson & Johnson CEO Joaquin Duato, Deloitte Asia Pacific CEO David Hill, and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
The event will also host Korea's business elite, including the heads of the nation’s four major conglomerates—SK Chairman Chey Tae-won (who also chairs the CEO Summit), Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai’s Chung Eui-sun, and LG’s Koo Kwang-mo—along with top IT executives from Naver and Kakao.
With over 1,700 global business leaders expected, the CEO Summit, under the sub-theme "Beyond, Business, Bridge," is poised to be a critical junction for investment and partnership. Local industry voices are urging the expansion of participation for promising Korean AI/Cloud SMEs and startups. By providing maximum opportunity for these firms to attend, South Korea aims to utilize this high-level gathering to promote its AI/IT capabilities, secure vital international expansion opportunities, and solidify its status as a regional AI alliance hub.
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