'Ancient Future City' Gyeongju Kicks Off APEC High-Level Dialogue on Cultural Industries... Sharing the Vision of Connection, Innovation, and Prosperity

The 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) High-Level Dialogue on Cultural Industries opened successfully on the morning of August 27 at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel in Gyeongju.

This High-Level Dialogue on Cultural Industries, the first of its kind in APEC history, was organized by combining Gyeongju's unique cultural values with its status as the host city for the APEC Summit.

The opening ceremony was attended by more than 100 people, including Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, who served as chair; chief delegates for cultural affairs from APEC member economies; Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat; Yoon Sung-mi, Chair of the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM); and Joo Nak-young, Mayor of Gyeongju, the host city.

The event began in earnest with the introduction of the chief delegates, followed by an opening address from Minister Choi Hwi-young and a welcoming speech from Mayor Joo Nak-young. Notably, Mayor Joo delivered his welcoming remarks in fluent English, warmly greeting the cultural industry delegations from around the world on behalf of the citizens.

In his welcoming speech, Mayor Joo emphasized, "Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla Dynasty for a thousand years and is a UNESCO World Heritage city, but at the same time, it is an 'Ancient Future City' that continuously innovates and prepares for the future."

He added, "I expect that Gyeongju, with its thousand-year history, will become a platform connecting the cultures and creative industries of the Asia-Pacific region through APEC, and that this High-Level Dialogue will serve as a new starting point for cooperation for future generations."

Afterward, a video welcoming message from the UNESCO Assistant Director-General was played, reinforcing a sense of solidarity in the international community. The opening ceremony concluded with a commemorative group photo of all chief delegates in attendance.

Immediately following the opening ceremony, the main session commenced, during which Minister Choi Hwi-young proposed agenda items and adopted the topics. The SOM Chair and the Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat then presented this year's key priorities.

In particular, an in-depth session was held under APEC's core themes of "Connection, Innovation, and Prosperity," leading to meaningful discussions that explored the future of cultural industry cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mayor Joo Nak-young stated, "This High-Level Dialogue on Cultural Industries is a significant milestone, as it marks APEC's official recognition of the value of the cultural industry as a major pillar of the economy and demonstrates the region's keen interest in cultural cooperation." He added, "Together with our citizens, we will continue to make perfect preparations for the APEC Summit this fall, leaving nothing to chance."