G-Dragon named honorary ambassador for APEC as Seoul has 100 days to prepare
The singer was appointed as he embodies the APEC's values of "connectivity and sustainability" as a symbol of creativity and innovation, and was the perfect figure to share these values "both here and abroad," the Foreign Ministry, which is part of the committee said in a statement.
As the APEC ambassador, he will appear in promotional videos to spread the key message of the summit to the global audience, the ministry explained.
Shin Woo-seok, creative director and head of the production company Dolphiners Films, will produce the APEC promotional materials.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Wednesday expressed anticipation for the 2025 APEC Leaders' Meeting as an opportunity to showcase South Korea's recovery from political turmoil stemming from former President Yoon Suk Yeol, to the world.
'The upcoming APEC summit (in Gyeongju) is different from other regular global events,' Kim said during a meeting of the summit preparation committee held at the Seoul government complex.
'It will be (an opportunity) to showcase the democratic power of South Korea, which has overcome the insurrection (triggered by the martial law debacle) with the power of our people, as well as our cultural dignity to the world.'
The prime minister is the head of the summit preparation committee comprising related government agencies, including the Foreign Ministry, municipal governments and business organizations.
Kim called for thorough preparedness during the meeting, which took place some 100 days ahead of the summit, set to kick off on Oct. 31 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
'The real task is to share the history and cultural dignity of both South Korea and Gyeongju with the world, aligned with a goal of getting a hundred times return on our investment,' Kim said. 'It could be too late to fix things after September, when the preparations are roughly done. It is why we must thoroughly check and review the preparation process and why I have decided to visit the summit site in Gyeongju every week.'
Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-a, who attended the meeting, said that they plan to 'greet the leaders' of the 21 APEC economies with readiness and vowed full efforts to host a successful event. She explained that all constructions and preparations for infrastructure would be completed by the end of September and the final inspections and rehearsals would be carried out in October.
Earlier this week, the presidential office said it had sent invitation letters to the leaders of the 20 APEC member economies, including China, Japan, Russia and the US.
Though the White House has yet to confirm whether US President Donald Trump will join the upcoming APEC summit, new Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said in a recent parliamentary hearing that the likelihood of Trump attending is "considerably high.' Cho, however, did not go into details behind his claim.
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