APEC disaster response meetings in Incheon to focus on cooperation in risk mitigation

Korea will host the APEC disaster meetings from Wednesday to Friday in Incheon, bringing together disaster management officials, policymakers and international experts from across the Asia-Pacific to strengthen cooperation in disaster risk reduction.

Kim Gwang-yong, vice minister for Disaster and Safety Management at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, center, delivers a welcome speech at the 2025 APEC disaster meetings held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon on July 30. [MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR AND SAFETY]

Korea is set to host the annual APEC disaster meetings from Wednesday to Friday in Songdo, Incheon, bringing together disaster management officials, policymakers and international experts from across the Asia-Pacific to strengthen regional cooperation in disaster risk reduction.

This year’s meeting will adopt the theme of “Advancing Disaster Risk Reduction in the Asia-Pacific: Partnerships for a Resilient and Prosperous Future,” seeking new strategies for the region, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced Tuesday.

The three-day gathering consists of the Emergency Preparedness Working Group and the Senior Disaster Management Officials Forum.

The working group, convening on Wednesday, will focus on practical cooperation strategies, including digital-based disaster management, the role of local leadership in compound disaster response, regional risk assessment case studies and interforum resilience building.

The high-level forum on Thursday will translate these discussions into policy recommendations. Key agenda items include building resilience to emerging risks, closing early warning system gaps, enhancing multilayered governance and applying new technologies for effective disaster leadership.

On Friday, participants are scheduled to tour Korea’s disaster safety infrastructure, including Seoul's Safety Experience Center and the IFEZ Smart City Integrated Operation Center. An exhibition hall showcasing Korea’s cutting-edge disaster safety innovations will also run from Tuesday to Sunday. Ten public and private sector organizations will participate in the exhibition, aiming to boost global outreach and exports in the disaster-tech sector.

Korea will also sign two cooperation agreements, a memorandum of understanding with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and a memorandum of cooperation with New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency, expected to expand policy exchange, joint research and capacity-building in disaster response.

“Hosting the APEC disaster meetings is a valuable opportunity to solidify international collaboration amid an increasingly volatile disaster landscape,” said Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung in a statement, underscoring that Korea would continue to lead in disaster policy and technology.

More than 100 participants are expected to attend, including disaster management delegations from the APEC economies and representatives from international organizations. Participating economies include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, the United States and Vietnam. Korea is the host of this year's APEC summit in Gyeongju later this fall.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]