Prime Minister Kim Minseok Visits Gyeongju to Inspect APEC Preparations... Reviews Local Infrastructure Firsthand

On the morning of July 11, the city of Gyeongju announced that Prime Minister Kim Minseok visited Gyeongju to inspect preparations for the 2025 APEC Summit.

This visit was carried out in accordance with a special directive from President Lee Jaemyung. Prime Minister Kim began his inspection by attending a briefing on the status of preparations held at the HICO Convention Center, followed by on-site inspections of key locations such as the main conference hall and banquet venue.

Han Youngtae, head of the Democratic Party's Gyeongju regional office, greeting Prime Minister Kim Minseok at Gyeongju Station on the morning of the 11th.

The briefing was attended by key government officials, including Prime Minister Kim Minseok, Yoon Changryul, Chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, Kim Jina, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yoon Seongmi, Chair of the APEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM), and Kim Jijun, Head of the APEC Preparatory Planning Team. Also present were private sector representatives such as Joo Nakyoung, Mayor of Gyeongju, Kim Hakhong, Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs of North Gyeongsang Province, Lee Seongwoo, Head of the APEC Promotion Headquarters at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Koo Jaok, General Director of the event agency.

Joo Nakyoung, Mayor of Gyeongju, stated, "With only about 110 days remaining until the summit, we will devote our utmost effort as the host city until the very end." He added, "Gyeongju is preparing to welcome guests with the determination to represent Korea, focusing on accommodations, transportation, medical services, culture, tourism, and improvements to the urban landscape."

He continued, "In order for this summit to become a lasting achievement in Korea's diplomatic history rather than a one-time event, it is essential for the government to provide ongoing support for post-APEC projects such as the creation of an APEC Memorial Park, the establishment of the Gyeongju Historical and Cultural Forum, and large-scale renovations of the Bomun Complex."

Prior to this, the city of Gyeongju has been accelerating preparations in various areas, including the construction of core infrastructure such as the conference hall, media center, and banquet venue, as well as citizen participation campaigns, promotion of local specialty products, and enhancement of traditional cultural content.

In particular, Gyeongju is establishing a comprehensive response system across all sectors, driven by a sense of duty as "Korea's representative," by implementing hospitality campaigns to raise civic awareness, securing personnel for medical, transportation, and interpretation services, improving the scenery along key routes, and expanding tourism and cultural content.

Prime Minister Kim Minseok stated, "Gyeongju's historical and cultural assets provide a powerful foundation to showcase Korea's dignity to the world," and added, "The government will provide full support until the successful hosting of APEC is achieved."

Meanwhile, on this day, Mayor Joo Nakyoung requested that Prime Minister Kim designate the region's traditional fine liquor as the official banquet drink for the summit, asking that this serve as an opportunity to promote local industry and cultural assets.