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APEC CEO Summit in spotlight for possible attendance of tech gurus
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, center, talks with Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Chey Tae-won, right, and Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong during Korea-U.S. Business Roundtable at Willard InterContinental Washington D.C., Aug. 26. Yonhap
By Ko Dong-hwan
Expectations are growing that Gyeongju, the host city of the 2025 APEC CEO Summit, will serve as the venue where the world’s most prominent tech magnates share their insights on the future of the global economy.
With less than 40 days remaining until the 2025 APEC meetings, which will focus on economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, business leaders in the host country are stepping up efforts to invite key figures from around the world.
The target event is the APEC CEO Summit slated for Oct. 28 to 31. Some 900 CEOs have already expressed their intent to join the event, which is expected to host 1,700 company leaders and officials from APEC economies.
Chaired by Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Chey Tae-won, the event is expected to serve as a platform connecting business leaders and their companies to tap into new economic prospects.
One of the high-profile figures expected in Gyeongju is Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, the world’s most influential figure in chips for artificial intelligence (AI). While his participation at the CEO summit remains unconfirmed as of Sunday, chances appear high, as Chey personally invited Huang to the summit during a business roundtable between Korea and the United States in Washington last month and received a positive response.
Industry officials expect Huang to lead a session on AI on the final day of the CEO summit, and organizers are reportedly planning the event with his participation considered a certainty.
If Huang visits Korea, he is expected to possibly tour semiconductor production lines at Samsung Electronics or SK hynix and hold meetings with key political leaders taking part in the APEC meetings, given the strategic importance of AI accelerators that Nvidia supplies.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is another global tech leader expected to be in attendance. He has been a frequent visitor to Seoul this year, forming ties with Korean tech firms including SK Group, Samsung Electronics and Kakao. OpenAI has announced a strategic partnership with Kakao to jointly develop AI products tailored for Korea. OpenAI also opened its first office in Seoul on Sept. 10 following the launch of its Korean subsidiary in May.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser are also expected to attend the CEO summit. From China, which hosts next year’s APEC summit, Alibaba Group CEO Eddie Wu and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew of Singapore could also attend.