AI, food security on the agenda as Incheon gears up for APEC SOM3 talks

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AI, food security on the agenda as Incheon gears up for APEC SOM3 talks

Published: 24 Jul. 2025, 17:52

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Songdo Convensia in Incheon [INCHEON FREE ECONOMIC ZONE AUTHORITY]

Thousands of officials from across the Asia-Pacific are set to gather in Korea’s port city of Incheon this month for high-level discussions on pressing regional issues, including artificial intelligence and food security, ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit this fall.

The upcoming Third Senior Officials’ Meeting, or SOM3, will serve as a critical milestone leading up to the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, scheduled to take place on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang. During SOM3, leaders are expected to discuss key proposed deliverables, including cooperation on artificial intelligence and responses to demographic change, announced during the SOM1 meeting in February in Gyeongju.

APEC, one of the longest-running economic forums in the Asia-Pacific region, convenes leaders from 21 member economies annually to promote trade, investment and regional cooperation. This year’s third Senior Officials’ Meeting, along with a series of related ministerial-level meetings, will take place from July 26 to Aug. 15 in Incheon. The Incheon Metropolitan Government estimates the event will draw up to 5,000 participants.

Over the three-week period, the city will host a range of high-level gatherings, including dialogues on anticorruption efforts, digital governance and artificial intelligence, food security and women’s economic empowerment. The SOM3 will also serve as the final opportunity for senior officials to refine the summit agenda before the October meeting of APEC leaders.

The first and second rounds of senior officials’ meetings were held earlier this year in Gyeongju and Jeju, respectively. The meetings, which ran from Feb. 24 to March 9 and May 3 to 16, included discussions on human resource development and education.

Officials attend the APEC Finance and Central Bank Deputies' Meeting at Hwabaek International Convention Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on March 6. [MINISTRY OF ECONOMY AND FINANCE]

Incheon’s moment on the map

Beginning Saturday, Incheon will host SOM3 through Aug. 15. As the longest and largest of this year’s SOMs, it is expected to attract the biggest turnout.

Incheon, Korea’s third-largest city, is well-equipped to host large-scale international gatherings, being home to 15 international organizations and the country’s busiest air hub, Incheon International Airport. The city also holds historical importance as the site of the Incheon Landing during the 1950-53 Korean War. In addition to its bustling port, Incheon houses Korea’s first and largest free economic zone — the Incheon Free Economic Zone, or IFEZ — which comprises the Songdo, Yeongjongdo and Cheongna districts, designed to attract foreign investment.

The city’s infrastructure and history align closely with this year’s APEC theme of “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow,” and its three core priorities: "connect, innovate and prosper."

Professor Kim Dong-won of Incheon National University’s Department of Public Administration wrote in the IFEZ Journal that Incheon has long served as a symbol of “connection,” from the modern-era opening of Incheon Port to the present-day Incheon International Airport, which links the city to 178 destinations worldwide.

Incheon Bridge [INCHEON FREE ECONOMIC ZONE AUTHORITY]

Incheon has also positioned itself as a bridge to the Korean diaspora, establishing the Overseas Koreans Agency in 2023 with the goal of connecting with Korea’s seven million overseas nationals.

“Innovation is also part of Incheon’s identity,” Prof. Kim noted, pointing to the city’s digital transformation and achievements at CES 2025, where 12 Incheon-based startups received awards.

Home to a population of around three million, Incheon hosts several globally recognized biopharmaceutical companies, including Samsung Biologics and Celltrion, and is also home to Korea’s first and largest free economic zone.

Prof. Kim emphasized that the APEC meeting will deliver both short- and long-term benefits to the city.

“Long-term outcomes like enhancing the city brand are expected, in addition to direct effects on the regional economy such as boosts in tourism, accommodation and meetings,” he wrote.

Three weeks of high-level diplomacy

Throughout the SOM3 period, Incheon will host major meetings at Songdo Convensia, a five-story convention center featuring a 17,021-square-meter (4.2 acres) exhibition hall. These include the APEC High-Level Dialogue on Anti-Corruption Cooperation from July 31 to Aug. 1, the Digital and AI Ministerial Meeting from Aug. 4 to 6, the Food Security Ministerial Meeting from Aug. 9 to 10, the Women and the Economy Forum on Aug. 12 and the concluding Senior Officials’ Meeting from Aug. 14 to 15.

Some 130 volunteers will be stationed on-site to support the event. Shuttle services will run between Incheon International Airport, Songdo Convensia and official hotels, operating every hour for airport arrivals and departures and every 30 to 60 minutes for local transfers between venues and lodging. Tour programs, including excursions to Wolmido and Songdo Central Park, will also be available.

Volunteers for APEC's Third Senior Officials' Meeting pose for a photo during their inauguration ceremony in Incheon on July 21. [YONHAP]

This year’s summit carries significant weight for Korea, as it marks the first major international event hosted under the administration of President Lee Jae Myung. On July 15, President Lee extended official invitations to the leaders of all 20 other APEC economies, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, encouraging their attendance at the summit in Gyeongju.

According to the “APEC at a Glance” report, the forum’s 21 member economies account for 38 percent of the global population and 48 percent of world trade. For Korea, APEC represents an especially vital network: 75 percent of its exports and 68 percent of its imports are conducted with APEC members.

The 2025 summit will also mark Korea’s first time chairing APEC since 2005, when it last hosted the event in Busan.

The fall summit is expected to attract approximately 4,000 government delegates and an additional 4,000 representatives from the business sector. Total attendance is expected to reach between 20,000 and 30,000 people, according to government projections.

Songdo Central Park in Incheon [INCHEON FACILITIES CORPORATION]

Global exposure

Incheon is hosting six of the 14 ministerial-level meetings in total, underscoring its central role in Korea’s APEC chairmanship. Following SOM3, the city will again welcome delegates for two more ministerial meetings: the Finance Ministerial Meeting from Oct. 21 to 22 and the Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting from Oct. 21 to 23, both of which will take place at the Inspire Entertainment Resort in Yeongjongdo.

The Incheon Institute estimates that the APEC summit will generate around 40.9 billion won ($30 million) in economic benefits for the city.

Songdo Convensia in Incheon [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

Kim Young-shin, director of Incheon’s International Cooperation Bureau, described SOM3 as a pivotal opportunity to elevate the city’s global standing.

“SOM3 is widely considered a precursor that determines the success of the APEC summit,” he wrote in the IFEZ Journal.

Kim added that the city’s infrastructure and vision align naturally with APEC’s goals, laying the groundwork for deeper cooperation between member economies.

“I believe Incheon’s optimal accommodation and conference infrastructure, along with its experience in hosting large-scale international events such as the 2023 Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting, will serve as a strong foundation for the successful hosting of the 2025 APEC meetings in Incheon,” he said.