President Lee Jae Myung has held a press conference to mark the adoption of three key outcome documents at the APEC summit in Gyeongju: the APEC Gyeongju Declaration, the APEC AI Initiative, and the Joint Framework on Demographic Change Response.

At the press conference on Saturday, Lee said the Gyeongju Declaration outlines APEC’s shared vision for “connectivity, innovation and prosperity,” reaffirming members’ commitments to trade and investment, digital transformation, and inclusive growth. 

The presidential office said the declaration “carries great significance as it provides a comprehensive road map for economic cooperation at a time of heightened global uncertainty,” and praised it for restoring “the spirit of solidarity and collaboration among APEC members.”

Notably, the declaration marks the first time an APEC leaders’ document explicitly recognizes cultural and creative industries as a new growth engine for the Asia-Pacific region — a move Seoul hailed as a milestone for the future of K-culture.

Also adopted was the APEC AI Initiative, described as “the first formalized joint vision on AI involving both the United States and China.”

It incorporates South Korea’s vision of building an “AI-based basic society” and establishing an Asia-Pacific AI Center to promote inclusive AI growth.

The Joint Framework on Demographic Change Response, APEC’s first comprehensive population initiative, outlines five key areas of cooperation — resilient social systems, the modernization of human capital, tech-driven health and care services, inclusive economic empowerment, and enhanced regional dialogue.