The 31st APEC SME Ministerial Meeting was successfully held over five days, from September 1 to 5, at the Jeju International Convention Center (ICC JEJU). Following in-depth discussions among member economies, the meeting concluded with the adoption of a Joint Statement and Korea’s proposed “Jeju Initiative.” This year’s meeting marked the first time in 20 years since the 2005 meeting in Daegu that Korea hosted the APEC SME Ministerial Meeting, serving once again as Chair. Held under the theme, “MSMEs as Engines of Sustainable and Inclusive Growth,” the event brought together SME ministers and senior delegates from APEC member economies for high-level dialogue.
Participants engaged in discussions on key challenges facing SMEs, including the impact of AI and digital transformation, collaboration between large and small enterprises, and integration into global value chains.