APO Secretary-General Indra (L) and H.E. Ambassador Lee Hyuk (R).

On 23 December 2025, APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Lee Hyuk, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the ROK to Japan, to discuss strengthening cooperation between the APO and ROK government.

Ambassador Lee welcomed Secretary-General Dr. Indra and congratulated him on his reelection for a second term. He highlighted his longstanding engagement with ASEAN, drawing on his previous service as Ambassador to the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as his tenure as Secretary-General of the ASEAN–Korea Centre. He also recalled his first encounter with the APO during his meeting with the 6th APO Secretary-General Kenichi Yanagi at the APO Secretariat in Tokyo.

Secretary-General Dr. Indra expressed his appreciation for the ROK’s continued support for the APO, underscoring its founding role in the organization since 1961 and its position as the third-largest financial contributor. He highlighted APO collaboration with Korean institutions, including the Korea Development Institute (KDI), Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), and leading universities, in supporting member economies in developing national productivity master plans under Vision 2030 and the Strategic Partnership Program (SPP).

Both emphasized the growing importance of AI for productivity. Ambassador Lee reaffirmed the ROK’s readiness to support APO initiatives, noting the relevance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resource’s expertise in industrial AI and digital transformation.