APEC to Welcome 20,000 Visitors... No Issues Expected for Korean Mobile Services

Three Major Carriers Complete 5G Network Expansion
LG Uplus Ready to Handle 100,000 Users in Hwangridan-gil

In anticipation of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, the three major mobile carriers in South Korea have completed the expansion of their telecommunications networks in the Gyeongju region. During the APEC summit, approximately 20,000 visitors-including heads of state from major countries and prominent figures from the political and business sectors-are expected to visit Gyeongju. As this presents an opportunity to showcase the technological capabilities of Korea's mobile communication services, the carriers are making every effort to ensure stable service provision.

An LG Uplus network technician is inspecting a base station near Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju. Provided by LG Uplus

The three mobile carriers have completed the expansion of their 5G and LTE networks in key areas expected to attract APEC attendees and tourists, such as the Bomun Tourist Complex and Hwangridan-gil (Hwangnam-dong). Among them, LG Uplus has installed 11 additional base stations in the Gyeongju area and expanded indoor base stations at 17 locations. The capacity provided by LG Uplus alone can accommodate 80,000 subscribers simultaneously in the Bomun Tourist Complex and 100,000 in Hwangridan-gil. KT has newly installed or expanded 182 base station units at 43 locations, including the HICO (Hwabaek International Convention Center), the main conference venue, and surrounding areas. SK Telecom has also completed quality checks and base station expansions at accommodation facilities.

It is not easy to install additional mobile base stations in the Gyeongju area. Because many parts of the city are UNESCO World Heritage sites, even a single base station installation requires permits from cultural heritage authorities. In some cases, construction has been suspended for several years when cultural relics were discovered during base station installation work.

In particular, Hwangridan-gil is an area where telecom companies have made special efforts to expand base stations. Due to the limited number of base stations, there were already issues with reduced communication quality when large numbers of tourists visited, even before the APEC summit. Near Hwangridan-gil is the Gyeongju Arts Center, which will host the CEO Summit during APEC, where more than 1,700 global business leaders are expected to gather. An LG Uplus representative explained, "We were able to increase the number of base stations with the cooperation of Gyeongju City and others in preparation for APEC."

Inside HICO, the main APEC venue, a mobile network capable of handling greater capacity than initially projected has been established. While a large number of base stations have already been installed outside the venue, additional indoor base stations have also been set up. In fact, when measuring 5G network speeds using a smartphone speed test app near the Hwabaek International Convention Center, results of up to 2 gigabits per second (Gbps) were recorded.

During the APEC summit, the three mobile carriers will also operate free Wi-Fi zones for visitors to Gyeongju. These Wi-Fi zones have been installed at main conference halls, banquet venues, and tourist attractions, and are open to everyone regardless of their mobile carrier. Foreign visitors to Gyeongju can also use their phones without worrying about roaming charges. The names of the Wi-Fi access points (APs) have been simplified to make connection easier, with names such as "APEC 2025."

Meanwhile, network infrastructure personnel from the three mobile carriers will be stationed throughout the Gyeongju area during the event to support smooth network operations. SK Telecom will operate a dedicated situation room and deploy staff on-site during APEC. KT has prepared emergency recovery supplies such as mobile base stations, power generators, and backup equipment at the Bomun Communications Center. LG Uplus will also operate a local situation room, with employees standing by on-site.

No Sungjoo, head of the Network Infrastructure Operations Group at LG Uplus, stated, "With key figures from around the world visiting for APEC, we have prepared a variety of contingency measures to ensure optimal communication quality," adding, "We will meticulously monitor and respond throughout the entire event to ensure every aspect is successfully completed from start to finish."

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