Foreign Minister Cho Hyun says Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member states are very close to adopting the “Gyeongju Declaration,” which will reflect the outcomes of the APEC Summit.  

Cho made the remark during a news conference following the APEC Ministerial Meeting(AMM) on Thursday, when reporters asked whether the statement's adoption is imminent.  

When asked how free trade, APEC’s founding principle, will be expressed in the declaration, Cho only replied that it is too early to say, given that multiple member states are currently engaged in last-minute negotiations.  

The 21 APEC member states are holding separate discussions about adopting an AMM Joint Statement.

Cho said negotiations on the statement are still underway, and he believes it will likely be adopted on Friday.  

He disclosed that the joint statement will comprise approximately 40 articles and reflect the outcome of the AMM and other high-level discussions, as well as APEC's broader achievements.