Lee Jae‑myung, President of South Korea, cautioned at the APEC CEO Summit that the global economy faces a growing threat from protectionism and nationalism. He emphasised that terms like “cooperation and inclusive growth” may ring hollow amid deepening trade-chain fractures. Lee called for multilateral efforts to rebuild trust and address supply-chain bottlenecks, especially in Asia-Pacific. His remarks underscore increasing unease among nations about rising trade barriers even as globalisation faces structural headwinds.