President Lee Jae Myung has sent official invitations to the leaders of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) member countries for this year’s summit, set to take place in Gyeongju from October 31 to November 1.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung said Tuesday that invitations were sent to all 21 member economies, including the U.S., Japan, China and Russia.

In the letter, Lee reportedly highlighted APEC’s contributions to sustainable growth in the region and expressed hope for progress on issues such as regional connectivity and digital innovation.

When asked about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s attendance, Kang confirmed that China had been invited but said final confirmations would be announced at a later date.

As for North Korea, Kang noted that it is not an APEC member and was therefore not included, adding that any consideration of a separate invitation would be handled by the foreign and unification ministries.