U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to make state visits to South Korea next week, coinciding with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, South Korea’s top security adviser confirmed on Friday.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung plans to meet both leaders separately, with discussions expected to cover regional security, trade issues, and cooperation. “Through a series of summits between South Korea, the United States, and China, we aim to highlight South Korea’s role as a platform and build consensus for peace, prosperity, and stability in the region,” said Wi Sung-lac, Seoul’s presidential security adviser, as reported in Reuters.
The visits come amid rising trade tensions between the U.S. and China. Seoul is seeking progress on security and tariff-related issues during Lee’s meeting with Trump, although officials remain uncertain whether any concrete agreements will be reached. South Korea and the U.S. remain at odds over cash investment levels in a $350 billion deal aimed at reducing U.S. tariffs on South Korean exports.
Lee will also hold a summit with Xi Jinping to discuss the deepening bilateral partnership and regional security matters, including North Korea.
Before the APEC meetings, Lee will travel to Malaysia from October 26-27 to attend an ASEAN summit alongside Trump. During the trip, he will also meet Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet to discuss issues including online scams.
“A super week of multilateral summits is kicking off, starting with ASEAN and continuing into APEC in Gyeongju,” Wi added, highlighting South Korea’s central role in the upcoming diplomatic events.





