'APEC Summit Gyeongju Hosting', 1.2 Million Participants in Signature Campaign After 70 Days

The nationwide aspiration for hosting the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju has surpassed one million signatures in just over two months.

On the 17th, Gyeongbuk Province and Gyeongju City announced, "As of the 16th, a total of 1,206,355 people have participated in the one million signature campaign to host the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju."

At the ‘2025 APEC Summit Gyeongju Hosting Hope Forum’ held on September 7 at the Gyeongju HICO (HICO: Gyeongju Hwabaek Convention Center), the official start of the signature campaign was marked by a performance celebrating the launch of the one million signature drive. In just a little over two months, the campaign has easily exceeded 1.2 million signatures.

A signature campaign supporting the hosting of the APEC Summit in Gyeongju.

To commemorate this milestone, on the 17th at 2 p.m., a celebration event marking the achievement of one million signatures will be held at the Gyeongju HICO. About 150 people, including Lee Dal-hee, Deputy Governor for Economy of Gyeongbuk Province, Joo Nak-young, Mayor of Gyeongju, Lee Cheol-woo, Chairperson of the Gyeongju City Council, Park Mong-ryong, Chairperson of the Pan-Citizen Promotion Committee, as well as participating organizations, groups, and supporters of the signature campaign, will attend.

The commemorative event began with a performance by the Silla Military Band, reenacting the military music and honor guard of the Silla Dynasty. The event heightened expectations for hosting the summit with a grand unveiling of a giant banner celebrating the achievement of one million signatures displayed on the front of the Gyeongju HICO building, the venue for the APEC Summit.

Meanwhile, Gyeongbuk Province stated that the achievement of one million signatures was the result of nationwide support and participation, led by the Pan-Citizen Promotion Committee for hosting the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju, along with the province, Gyeongju City, 22 cities and counties, related organizations, and various groups.

In particular, before the full-scale signature campaign began, the Gyeongsangbuk-do Mayors and County Governors Council initiated support signatures from local mayors and county governors. Gyeongbuk Province actively requested cooperation through various city and county meetings and launched the signature campaign in earnest. The campaign was actively promoted at various Gyeongbuk-related events such as the Democratic Peace Advisory Council Gyeongbuk Regional Meeting, the launch ceremony of the Local Era Policy Committee, and the Farmers' Day event.

Signature activities by related organizations and groups were also continuous. Iksan City, a sister city of Gyeongju, delivered a petition with 10,000 signatures collected through a large-scale signature campaign targeting local social organizations. The Nonghyup Gyeongju Branch also delivered about 38,000 signatures in cooperation with Nonghyup organizations in Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions.

Local universities such as Dongguk University WISE Campus, Uiduk University, and Gyeongju University, as well as various related organizations including the Gyeongju City Public Relations Advisory Committee, the Women's Association Council, the Saemaul Movement, the Barun Living Movement Council, and the Korea Freedom Federation, actively conducted signature campaigns not only at local events and festivals but also nationwide.

The efforts of volunteer supporters cannot be overlooked. They operated signature promotion booths at major tourist hubs such as Singyeongju Station, Hwangridan-gil, and the Eastern Historic Site, combining signature collection with promotional activities for hosting the summit. They also enthusiastically participated in volunteer activities at various events and festival booths, injecting vitality into the signature campaign.

Gyeongbuk Province and Gyeongju City plan to continue the one million signature campaign for hosting the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju through this month. Before the application for hosting city selection in December, the petition will be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Hosting City Selection Promotion Committee.

Lee Dal-hee, Deputy Governor for Economy of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, "Achieving one million signatures in just over two months shows how strong the desire and will of the 2.6 million residents of the province are that the 2025 APEC Summit must be held in Gyeongju." He added, "Until the final selection in the first half of next year, we will join forces with all residents and expatriates to intensify nationwide promotion and hosting activities."

Having confirmed the interest of city and provincial residents and the entire nation in hosting the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk Province and Gyeongju City will thoroughly prepare for the upcoming application process, further consolidate the pan-citizen hosting will, and devote more efforts to spreading consensus and enthusiasm for hosting nationwide.

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