APEC Summit Bid in Gyeongju 'All In'... Gyeongbuk Province Launches Private Promotion Committee

Appointment of Civil Promotion Committee Members from Various Experts

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Koo Dae-sun] Gyeongbuk Province and Gyeongju City held the launch ceremony of the ‘2025 APEC Summit Gyeongju Hosting’ Private Promotion Committee on the 16th at Lotte Hotel Seoul.

Gyeongju City, which is bidding to host the 32nd APEC Summit to be held in 2025, formed a dedicated APEC hosting team earlier this year and, together with Gyeongbuk Province, launched the private promotion committee to make an all-out effort.

The private promotion committee, composed of 13 top experts from various fields including politics, economy, law, culture, academia, diplomacy, and security, appointed Yoon Se-young, founding chairman of Taeyoung Group, and lawyer Shin Pyeong as co-chairmen.

The private promotion committee plans to pool the capabilities of experts from various sectors to create a boom, provide suggestions for hosting activities, and perform various roles.

Gyeongju is currently the only small and medium-sized basic local government among the competing cities, and its strategy is to achieve balanced regional development, a national agenda, and revitalize tourism and the economy through hosting the summit.

The host city for the APEC Summit is expected to be selected in the second half of this year, with rival cities including Busan, Incheon, and Jeju competing.

Among the APEC Summits held so far, small-scale cities such as Los Cabos, Mexico in 2002, Vladivostok, Russia in 2012, and Da Nang, Vietnam in 2017 have hosted the event.

Gyeongju boasts successful experience in hosting large international events over the past decade, including the APEC Education Ministers’ Meeting (2012), the 7th World Water Forum (2015), the 14th World Heritage Cities Organization General Assembly, and the 6th World Humanities Forum (2020).

Gyeongju City also highlights that it has sufficient accommodation facilities to host heads of state, their entourages, and press corps from various countries, and that the main venue, Hwabek Convention Center, is scheduled to complete expansion and renovation in 2024, making it fully capable of hosting a large-scale summit.

Gyeongju stands out as a treasure trove of Korea’s representative cultural heritage and the most traditionally Korean city.

Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, said, “November, when the summit will be held in Gyeongju, which has the optimal conditions for hosting the 2025 APEC Summit, is the peak season for autumn foliage and scenery. The photo of the leaders of the 21 countries wearing hanbok in front of Bulguksa Temple will be a scene that introduces Korea’s tradition and culture to the world.”

Joo Nak-young, Mayor of Gyeongju City, said, “Hosting the APEC Summit in Gyeongju will be a groundbreaking turning point that can maximize the vision and effects of balanced development in the local era. Since the infrastructure is sufficient, we will definitely win the bid by joining forces with Gyeongbuk Province, political circles, and the promotion committee.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.