South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will visit the Philippines and China from November 16 to 19 to attend the South Korea-ASEAN summit in Manila and the APEC summit in Shenzhen, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said on Thursday, November 12, Reuters reported.
Source: Reuters, Nov 12, 2026
Lee will begin the four-day trip in Manila on November 16, where he will attend a summit between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and a South Korea-Mekong summit with the five Mekong countries — Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. On November 17 he will take part in the ASEAN Plus Three summit, involving South Korea, China and Japan, and the East Asia Summit.
Source: Korea JoongAng Daily, Nov 12, 2026
He will then travel to Shenzhen on November 18 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where he will attend the APEC CEO Summit and a welcoming dinner hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan. On November 19, Lee will participate in the APEC leaders' meeting before returning home.
Source: Reuters, Nov 12, 2026
At the APEC summit, Lee will deliver a message on peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, while urging regional countries to support Seoul's efforts to resume talks with North Korea, Wi said, according to Reuters.
Source: Reuters, Nov 12, 2026
APEC in Shenzhen: Trump and Xi also due
The Shenzhen summit, scheduled for November 18 and 19, will bring together leaders from APEC's 21 member economies at a time of growing economic uncertainty, trade tensions and rapid technological change. The APEC summit is expected to bring together world leaders including US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
Source: Korea JoongAng Daily, Nov 12, 2026
President Xi Jinping is due to meet President Trump again at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, Reuters reported earlier this week, and the trip comes a week after Xi's renewed call for peaceful "reunification" with Taiwan. That meeting is one reason the Shenzhen gathering is being watched far beyond the Asia-Pacific region.
Source: Reuters, Nov 12, 2026
The Blue House said bilateral meetings with major leaders, including Trump, were still under discussion and had not been confirmed. A special South Korea-ASEAN summit is planned for 2029, according to the presidential office.
In Manila, Lee will also discuss cooperation on critical minerals, combating transnational crime and energy supplies with Southeast Asian leaders, the presidential office said. The trip is Lee's latest attempt to place South Korea at the centre of regional diplomacy, with North Korea dialogue as its headline ask.
Source: Aju Press, Nov 12, 2026
The APEC meeting in Shenzhen is shaping up as a three-way moment: Trump, Xi and Putin are all expected there. Read the earlier story: Trump expects Xi-Putin trilateral at Shenzhen APEC