Will Kim Jong-un join world leaders at APEC summit? Seoul Leaves the Door Ajar

South Korea has left the door open to the possibility of inviting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, even as officials stressed that no such discussions are currently underway.

Though North Korea is not one of APEC’s 21 member economies, the host nation — South Korea, in this case — holds the authority to invite non-member countries to participate as observers, Caliber.Az reports via Korea Times.

The summit is set to take place in late October in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.

Addressing recent media speculation on July 24, the South Korean presidential office acknowledged the possibility of extending such an invitation but clarified that the matter has not been formally raised.

“According to precedent, host nations are permitted to invite nonmember leaders for informal talks on the sidelines of the APEC Summit,” a presidential official told reporters.

“The APEC Summit should serve as a platform to garner international support for peace on the Korean Peninsula,” the official added, suggesting a willingness to use the occasion as a diplomatic forum.

However, the official stressed that the idea remains at a very early stage. “There are currently no discussions underway regarding an invitation to North Korea,” the official said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs adopted a similarly measured tone, neither confirming nor rejecting the idea of inviting the North Korean leader.

"Any invitation to North Korea would require consultation with APEC member economies, and no such discussions are currently taking place within APEC,” a foreign ministry official stated.

Nonetheless, the official indicated the issue remains under consideration. "This year’s potential invitations to nonmember states are being reviewed based on a range of factors, including APEC’s core objectives, this year’s themes and bilateral relations with prospective invitees."

A spokesperson from the Unification Ministry also noted that while formal talks on the matter have not begun, such an invitation is well within the rights of the host government.

The idea of involving Kim in the summit gained further attention earlier this month during a parliamentary confirmation hearing for Unification Minister nominee Chung Dong-young.

When asked if he had considered the possibility, Chung responded, "Given the high possibility of U.S. President Donald Trump attending, Kim Jong-un's participation could significantly increase the chances of a Pyongyang-Washington summit."

Chung said the South Korean government, along with both ruling and opposition parties, would work to make the summit a platform for promoting peace. He previously sought to invite Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un’s father, to the 2005 APEC Summit held in Busan.

Still, analysts caution that a breakthrough is unlikely, given the current diplomatic freeze. Communication channels between the two Koreas remain largely inactive, and Pyongyang has kept its distance from both Seoul and Washington amid growing ties with Moscow.

President Lee Jae Myung officially invited the 20 other APEC member economies to the summit via formal letters sent on July 15. Whether Kim Jong-un will be added to that list remains uncertain.

By Aghakazim Guliyev