The Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) and the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) resumed the KOPEC Youth Ambassadors program, which had been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, on the occasion of the 32nd Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) General Meeting and Standing Committee, held on August 12th to 13th, 2025, at the FKI Conference Center in Seoul. This marked the first time in over a decade that the program was relaunched, drawing significant attention.

PECC has long operated a youth delegation program but suspended its activities in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The resumption in 2025 coincided with Korea’s chairmanship of APEC, aiming to enhance youth engagement in PECC and APEC-related international cooperation.

The KOPEC Youth Ambassadors is a youth participation program in international cooperation led by the Korea National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (KOPEC)*, which serves as APEC’s official non-governmental observer and think tank.

The program is designed to:

● Facilitate exchanges of views on economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific,

● Enhance understanding of the region,

● Encourage youth participation in discussions on PECC’s key agendas, and

● Expand opportunities for international cooperation activities.

During this year’s activities, participating students observed the PECC General Meeting and Standing Committee sessions firsthand. They also conducted interviews with key speakers, and created digital content (e.g., card news and on-site sketches) to promote the program’s objectives.

A total of 20 university students with a strong interest in international cooperation issues took part in the program. Divided into four teams, they focused on two themes—Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Demographic Change—and engaged in preparatory learning before attending the meetings. Of these, two teams were selected to present at the Standing Committee meeting on August 13th. The AGEnda team addressed “Intergenerational Cooperation for Responding to Demographic Change,” while the VOYCE team presented on “Job Creation Strategies in the AI Era.”

The presentations generated significant interest and positive responses from Standing Committee members, who praised the students’ keen awareness of issues and creative approaches. Several members highlighted the importance of expanding youth participation in international cooperation and encouraged KOPEC to continue such initiatives under the PECC framework.

- Title: KOPEC Youth Ambassadors

- Date: Wednesday, August 13, 2025

- Venue: FKI Conference Center, Seoul

- Organizers: Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), Federation of Korean Industries (FKI)

- Contact: Soyoung Kwak, Senior Researcher, KOPEC Secretariat (sykwak@kiep.go.kr)