(KPL/Yonhap) Acting President Han Duck-soo said Thursday this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju will likely attract more interest due to recent global economic uncertainty.

Han made the remark during a meeting of a summit preparatory committee, which consists of government and local government officials, as well as business leaders.

"The APEC summit will deal with various economic issues related to changes in the global trade environment, and it is anticipated that international interest in the APEC summit will grow further due to the recent deepening of uncertainty in the global economy," he said.

Republic of Korea is to host the gathering of leaders from the 21 APEC member economies in Gyeongju, some 275 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in November.

APEC members include Republic of Korea, the United States, Japan, China, Russia, Canada and Australia.

"Considering the physical time needed to establish the overall infrastructure, it is now time to finalize the detailed plans and swiftly execute them," Han said, noting the summit will also be an opportunity to promote South Korea's national brand.

"I ask the relevant ministries and local governments, under the leadership of the foreign ministry, to work as one team with the private sector and do your best to ensure not a single error by checking preparations by sector two and three times," he added.

KPL