
The Gyeongju Nationwide Museum in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, is seen, Jan. 14. Based on the 2025 Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation summit organizing committee, a summit dinner is ready to be held within the museum’s backyard. Yonhap
The historic metropolis of Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province, famend for its wealthy cultural heritage, is ready to host the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation (APEC) summit in November.
With world leaders, together with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese language President Xi Jinping, doubtlessly attending, the stakes are excessive as Korea prepares to host the summit for the primary time in twenty years. The final time Korea hosted the APEC gathering was in 2005 in Busan.
Nevertheless, as the main focus shifts from Gyeongju’s historic landmarks to the logistical challenges of organizing a large-scale summit, considerations are rising over whether or not the town’s lodge infrastructure can accommodate the inflow of world leaders, high-level officers and enterprise representatives from greater than 20 international locations.
A number of embassies from APEC member states in Korea have raised doubts about Gyeongju’s capability to host the multinational gathering.
“The situation for the APEC venue may be very regarding,” an envoy from an APEC member nation instructed The Korea Occasions on the situation of anonymity.
“There is just one five-star lodge within the space with a single presidential suite, elevating questions on how Korea will accommodate all of the VIPs … There might be sideline conferences involving financial ministers, international ministers and different ministers chargeable for commerce and associated issues and there’s a lack of conference area for the conferences,” the envoy stated.
One other envoy from an APEC nation stated, “We have been knowledgeable that on account of a scarcity of lodging, the Korean authorities will assign and designate rooms. Not like earlier APEC occasions the place taking part international locations organized their very own lodging, this time the Korean authorities will deal with it. Transportation is one other challenge; the Korean authorities can even present autos and buses.”

Diplomats from APEC member nations‘ international missions in Korea go to Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Nov. 29, 2024, to examine preparations for the 2025 APEC summit. They toured key venues, together with the Hwabaek Conference Heart, potential lodging spots for world leaders and cultural heritage websites. Courtesy of Ministry of International Affairs
Though Korea has a powerful observe report of efficiently internet hosting main worldwide occasions, the 2023 World Scout Jamboree became a worldwide shame.
The worldwide youth gathering, which introduced collectively over 40,000 Scouts from greater than 150 international locations, was held in August that 12 months in Saemangeum, an enormous space of reclaimed land in North Jeolla Province. It proved to be nothing in need of a logistical nightmare.
Individuals confronted challenges with insufficient meals, sanitation and medical help, whereas a extreme warmth wave led to tons of of heat-related sicknesses. The state of affairs worsened when a hurricane approached halfway via the occasion, forcing members to relocate to Seoul and surrounding areas.
An analogous logistical failure on the upcoming APEC summit would deal a big blow to Korea’s worldwide popularity.
Gyeongju presently has two five-star inns and three four-star inns. On condition that main delegations, resembling the USA, sometimes reserve complete inns for safety causes, the present capability is way from ample.
One other challenge is that lots of the inns within the Bomun Vacationer Complicated — the place the primary convention corridor for the summit is situated — are outdated. The district was developed in 1971 and has seen little modernization since.
It’s stated that another municipalities close to Gyeongju, resembling Ulsan, are contacting APEC members‘ embassies right here to welcome their delegations to remain of their cities, which have five-star inns. Nevertheless, the embassies are hesitant to just accept the alternate options due to safety points that would come up whereas their leaders are touring between Gyeongju and different cities.
To deal with these considerations, the summit’s organizing committee is working to safe ample lodging via a renovation venture, aiming to supply 35 presidential and royal suites throughout 12 inns for leaders from 25 taking part states in addition to main CEOs.
Based on the committee, renovations are presently underway at 4 inns: Hilton, Sono Calm, Hanwha Resort and Kolon Lodge.

Bomun Vacationer Complicated / Courtesy of Gyeongju Metropolis Workplace
„We’re planning to renovate virtually all 12 inns. Presidential and royal suites might be refurbished, and relying on the finances, renovations could lengthen to hallways, lobbies and elevator replacements,“ an official on the organizing committee stated Monday.
„It’s troublesome to specify the precise variety of rooms secured at this stage, as discussions with inns are nonetheless ongoing.“
Past world leaders, roughly 20,000 members, together with authorities officers, enterprise representatives, students and international press, are anticipated to flock to Gyeongju.
To accommodate them, the federal government plans to safe further areas at native coaching facilities. These coaching facilities, sometimes run by public establishments or state-owned enterprises for workers workshops, supply lodgings however fall in need of lodge requirements.
„Though accommodating all visitors throughout the Bomun Complicated could also be difficult, Gyeongju, as an entire, will be capable to meet the entire demand,“ the official stated.

From left, North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo, International Minister Cho Tae-yul and Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-young pose after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on preparations for the 2025 APEC summit on the ministry’s headquarters in Seoul, Jan. 22. Courtesy of Ministry of International Affairs
Officers within the tourism business in Gyeongju say they’re cooperating with the federal government as a result of the multinational summit will present a lift to their enterprise.
„We’re making ready for the occasion via renovation measures and shut communication with the Korea Lodge Affiliation, and we goal to finish them by the primary half of the 12 months,“ a Gyeongju-based business official stated.
The Ministry of International Affairs, for its half, stated that preparations for the APEC summit are progressing as deliberate.
„We now have performed a number of on-site inspections to organize key venues, together with the summit venue, media heart and inns for delegations. We held a briefing for international missions in Korea final September, adopted by a joint inspection of the summit venue, inns and main occasion websites in November,“ a ministry official instructed reporters throughout a current closed-door briefing.
The official added that the federal government is actively speaking with the diplomatic corps to make sure a well-organized summit.