On the 21st, members of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee (Chairman Kim Seokki) visited Gyeongju to inspect the preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, which will be held at the Bomun Complex in Gyeongju at the end of October.
This on-site visit is significant as it marks the first visit by a National Assembly standing committee since Gyeongju was selected to host APEC. Despite the intense political confrontation between parties due to the complex political situation, 13 lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties jointly toured the APEC site, highlighting the importance of this event.
Gyeongbuk Province and Gyeongju City are holding up banners to welcome the members of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee visiting Gyeongju.
The committee members first visited the Gyeongju Hwabaek Convention Center (HICO), where they received detailed briefings on the main infrastructure preparations for the summit, including the main conference hall, media center, and banquet hall, as well as local-level preparations for transportation, accommodation, and medical services.
The attendees noted that the First Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM1), held from February 24 to March 9, received positive evaluations from delegations of member economies. They stated, "There were concerns due to internal and external difficulties, but successfully hosting this rehearsal for the summit has raised expectations for many people," and requested that any shortcomings be fully addressed to ensure a successful summit.
Kim Sangcheol, head of the Gyeongbuk Province APEC Preparation Support Team, who guided the on-site visit, explained, "Unlike the 2005 Busan event, we must newly establish key infrastructure such as the media center and banquet hall in addition to the main conference hall. Despite these challenges, we are introducing the latest construction methods and will complete world-class facilities one month before the summit."
Following the progress report, the committee members toured the main conference hall inside the Hwabaek Convention Center and the planned site for the outdoor media center, meticulously checking to ensure that the facilities to be provided to major member country leaders, delegations, and global journalists in October would be fully adequate.
Kim Seokki, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, who conducted a particularly thorough inspection, said, "I have confirmed that Gyeongbuk Province and Gyeongju City are thoroughly preparing for APEC," and urged, "Please do your utmost until the end to ensure perfect preparations for the summit, which is now just over seven months away."
The committee members also visited the accommodation facilities where member economy leaders and global CEOs will stay, as well as Bulguksa Temple, the planned venue for cultural events, and the National Gyeongju Museum, where the banquet will be held.
After touring the sites, the committee members remarked, "We were once again able to appreciate the charm of Gyeongju, a world cultural heritage city known as an open-air museum," and added, "We now understand why Gyeongju was selected as the host city for the APEC Summit, despite being a basic local government."
Joo Nakyoung, Mayor of Gyeongju, stated, "The driving force behind attracting APEC to Gyeongju is the power of our culture and history," and added, "Through this APEC Summit, we will promote the cultural beauty of Gyeongbuk and Gyeongju to the world and use this as an opportunity for Gyeongju to leap forward as one of the world's top 10 tourist cities."
Yang Geumhee, Vice Governor for Economic Affairs of Gyeongbuk Province, said, "We are mobilizing all administrative resources of Gyeongbuk Province and Gyeongju City to ensure the most successful APEC ever," and requested, "We ask for continued interest and strong financial support from the National Assembly and the central government."
Meanwhile, on the 13th, the National Assembly passed a resolution to form the 'Special Committee for Supporting the 2025 APEC Summit.' The special committee will soon be composed of members from the Democratic Party (10), the People Power Party (7), and minor negotiation groups (1). This is expected to accelerate National Assembly-level support for preparations for the APEC Summit.
In addition, following the agreement between the ruling and opposition parties on the government’s supplementary budget, and after the visit of Acting Prime Minister Choi Sangmok (March 20), the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee’s visit to Gyeongju is expected to serve as a green light for substantial government funding in support of the APEC initiative.
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