"Three-Hour Wait to Buy" Gyeongju Booms After APEC

Hwangnam Bread Waiting Time Signboard. Photo by Yonhap News

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The APEC Summit may be over, but interest in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, the host city, continues to intensify. The Gyeongju National Museum has seen an unusual surge of visitors lining up early to view its special gold crown exhibition, and crowds are filling every corner of Gyeongju, from Hwangridan-gil to the Bomun Tourist Complex. In particular, "Hwangnam Bread," which Chinese President Xi Jinping praised as "delicious," has attracted explosive attention, with people waiting up to three hours at the store to purchase it.

On the 3rd, tourists lined up in front of a store on Hwangridan-gil, a representative tourist destination in downtown Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk. Photo by Yonhap News

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At the very center of the current Gyeongju craze is undoubtedly Hwangnam Bread. President Lee Jaemyung presented Hwangnam Bread to Chinese President Xi Jinping to commemorate his visit to Korea, and news of President Xi's comment that "Hwangnam Bread is delicious" quickly became a hot topic.

Although business had always been steady, after the APEC event, the store has truly been swamped with customers. Hundreds of meters of waiting lines form daily in front of the main store, and the online mall has experienced a surge in orders, causing deliveries to be delayed by more than two weeks. A company representative stated, "We have more customers than during the holidays," and added, "We are increasing production staff and working overnight shifts on weekends to keep up with demand."

Visitors are waiting at the National Gyeongju Museum on the 2nd, when the special exhibition "Silla Gold Crowns, Power and Prestige," which gathers all six Silla gold crowns discovered in Korea, opened to the public. Photo by Yonhap News

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The Gyeongju National Museum is also experiencing an "open run" phenomenon. This exhibition brings together all six Silla gold crowns discovered in Korea for the first time in about 104 years since the excavation of the Geumgwanchong Tomb in 1921. In particular, the actual artifact of the Cheonmachong gold crown, which President Lee presented as a model to former U.S. President Donald Trump at the recent Korea-U.S. summit, is on display, attracting even more visitors than usual.

As a result, starting from the 3rd, the museum began limiting weekday admissions to 150 people every 30 minutes, for a total of 2,550 visitors per day. The museum has separated the flow of visitors for the permanent exhibition and the special exhibition, but due to the continued crowds, they have also distributed numbered tickets on site.

On the 3rd, tourists are walking in Hwangridan-gil, a representative tourist destination in downtown Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk. Photo by Yonhap News

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The situation is the same at Hwangridan-gil, one of Gyeongju's most popular tourist destinations. Not only the main roads but even the small alleys are packed with people, making Hwangridan-gil even busier than on regular holidays. An ice cream shop on Hwangridan-gil, which was visited by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during former U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to Korea, is also enjoying a business boom. The shop stated, "Normally, the number of foreign customers increases in October, but recently it seems to have grown by about 20%," and added, "Since Press Secretary Leavitt's visit, some customers have come after hearing the news."

Tourists are also visiting not only famous attractions but also traditional markets. At lunchtime on the 3rd, both domestic and international tourists, including visitors from Taiwan, were enjoying soup at the ox head soup restaurant in Jungang Market. The previous day, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee had visited the restaurant with Mayor Joo Nakyoung. The owner, Lee Jeongrak (age 57), told Yonhap News, "Since the APEC Summit, there has been a significant increase in foreign tourists coming to the restaurant."

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