The foreign ministry said there is a high chance that U.S. President Donald Trump will not attend a meeting of state leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) summit in Gyeongju later this month.

During a parliamentary audit on Monday, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said "yes" when asked if Trump would visit the country, but added that the U.S. president is unlikely to participate in the summit.

Cho confirmed, however, that Trump is likely to meet with President Lee Jae Myung, most likely in Gyeongju.

The comments come as the United States and South Korea continue negotiating Trump's upcoming two-day visit, which is scheduled to begin on October 29, before the APEC summit kicks off on October 31.

The U.S. leader is likely to attend pre-summit APEC events that begin on October 27.

The minister said Lee and Trump are also highly likely to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in the APEC host city.