S. Korea president Yoon set to leave for Peru to attend APEC summit

South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to depart for Peru on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, with an eye on a possible meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during the South America trip.

Yoon will travel to Peru from Thursday to Friday for the APEC summit and then head to Brazil on Sunday for the G20 summit, which is scheduled for the next two days, Yonhap news agency reported.

He plans to use the diplomatic stage to pledge South Korea’s active role in global issues and call for international unity against military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, according to the presidential office.

Attention is focused on whether Yoon could meet with Trump during his South America trip to get a diplomatic heads-up before Trump takes office in January.

Yoon has recently begun practicing golf for the first time in eight years in preparation for a possible round with Trump, a presidential official said.

On Friday, Yoon plans to hold a trilateral meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Lima.

Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, said the leaders will discuss the importance of “institutionalizing” the progress in trilateral cooperation, built upon the landmark Camp David summit in August 2023.

Talks are underway to arrange Yoon’s bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japan’s Ishiba, and other leaders from APEC members, the presidential office said.

In Lima, Yoon will affirm South Korea’s commitment to free and fair trade at the main session and CEO summit and accept the chairmanship for the next meeting.

Gyeongju, located about 275 km southeast of Seoul, has been selected to host the 2025 APEC summit.

On the sidelines, Yoon is set to hold a summit with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Saturday and attend a ceremony to sign the nameplate of a vessel being built by a South Korean company at a shipyard in Peru.

On Sunday, Yoon will fly to Rio de Janeiro to attend the G20 summit, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, where he is expected to express South Korea’s support for global initiatives addressing famine, poverty, and climate change.