Overview
- At the Gyeongju gathering on Oct. 30, leaders from Vietnam, Thailand and the UAE urged open markets and deeper cooperation to preserve Asia’s role as a growth engine.
- Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong called for solidarity, warning that AI is reshaping economies at unprecedented speed and insisting technology must serve people rather than divide them.
- Cuong highlighted Vietnam’s 7.85% GDP expansion in the first nine months of 2025 and $18.8 billion in FDI disbursements, inviting investment in high-tech zones, smart cities and green industries.
- Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul set a “regional connector” vision, citing reskilling for 500,000 workers, 200,000 SMEs joining digital programs, pushes in EVs, AI and data centers, and climate goals of carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero by 2065.
- UAE trade minister Thani Al Zeyoudi, attending as guest of honor at President Lee Jae Myung’s invitation, promoted bridge-building, pointed to the 2024 UAE–Korea CEPA boosting non-oil trade by over 40% to about $23 billion, and noted renewable and industrial investments across Asia.