While in Singapore for annual regional summits, Moon also held bilateral meetings on the sidelines with Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Vice President Mike Pence. North Korea was a key topic for both meetings.

The trip to Singapore and Papua New Guinea came as the North's denuclearization process has made little headway in recent weeks, with the planned high-level talks between the US and the North having been called off at the last minute last week.

During the APEC summit, Moon plans to outline his vision for an innovative and inclusive nation and propose creating a joint fund, the APEC Digital Innovation Fund, aimed at improving the region's digital capabilities.

On Saturday, Moon is also scheduled to meet bilaterally with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill. He also plans to attend a meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council.

Moon is scheduled to return home on Sunday. (Yonhap)