Trump unlikely to attend APEC summit

U.S. President Donald Trump silences his mobile phone in the Oval Office of the White House, May 23. AP-Yonhap

U.S. President Donald Trump is unlikely to attend the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Summit, despite his planned visit to Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province — the host city — during the meetings’ run.

According to Korean government officials, Saturday, Seoul is now arranging diplomatic schedules and preparation based on the assumption that Trump will arrive in Korea, Oct. 29.

Scheduled for Oct. 29 is the APEC CEO Summit, a gathering of top business leaders from APEC economies. This year’s event is expected to invite big name businessmen, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

According to the officials, Trump is expected to attend the CEO Summit, have a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and leave Korea before the APEC Economic Leaders’ Summit slated for Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. The reason for his early departure remains unclear, but they suspect that he may have a reason to return home by Nov. 2.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, center, walks across the venue of the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Sept. 26. Yonhap

Foreign media reports indicate that Trump’s Asia tour schedule is expected to be tight. Before attending APEC meetings in Gyeongju, he is likely to participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit from Oct. 26 to 28.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in July that he had a phone conversation with Trump, during which the U.S. president confirmed his participation in the ASEAN meeting.

After his stop in Malaysia, Trump is expected to travel to Japan. Kyodo News there reported on Oct. 3 that the two sides are arranging his visit to the country on Oct. 27 for talks with the new Japanese prime minister.

Based on his known schedule, Trump appears to be focused more on meeting with business leaders and the U.S.-China summit. The meeting between Trump and Xi has been officially confirmed, with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying that the two leaders will have a “pull-aside” meeting.

On the sidelines of the CEO summit, Trump is expected to reiterate his calls for firms to invest in America. During his first term, Trump met with business leaders during his visits to Korea in 2017 and 2019, urging them to expand their investments in the U.S.

Although it remains unclear when Trump will leave South Korea, the chances of him staying in the country long enough to have a surprise meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are slim. A summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung may also be limited to a brief pull-aside meeting.

If Trump leaves Gyeongju immediately after his meeting with Xi, observers say other diplomatic agendas — particularly tariff talks with Seoul — could also be put on the back burner.

South Korean authorities have been hoping to leverage Trump’s APEC visit as an opportunity to hammer out a breakthrough in negotiations over U.S. demands that Seoul commit its proposed $350 billion investment fund in cash, despite Seoul’s preference to structure the fund using loans and guarantees.

Last month, the Korean government delivered a revised memorandum of understanding focusing on loans and guarantees, and the U.S. side's response has been not known yet.