President Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged to contribute to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) as a pivotal country in the world.

The top office said the pledge came in a keynote speech by Yoon at the APEC CEO Summit in San Francisco on Wednesday in which he unveiled ways to cooperate to boost APEC interconnectivity in trade, investment and supply chains, and digital and future generations.

Citing APEC’s efforts to lower trade barriers in the region and boost member states’ capability, Yoon stressed the need for the collective to expand its role as a guardian of multilateral trade.

Stressing the resilience of supply chains as key to multilateral trade, the president called on member states to share their experiences with such resilience, including the development of early warning systems.

The president also proposed launching discussions within APEC on an initiative facilitating open travel to member states and exchanges by young scientists in the Asia-Pacific region with degrees in science and technology who are working in research and development.