[Column] Joo Nakyoung, Mayor of Gyeongju: "How to Sustain the Achievements of APEC"

The 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, held in Gyeongju at the end of last month, was a historic stage that proved local cities can become the center of the world.

Leaders from 21 member economies and over 20,000 distinguished guests visited Gyeongju, drawing global attention as a city where Korea’s unique spirit and style are alive.

Joo Nakyoung, Mayor of Gyeongju

The flawless execution of all events without a single incident during the summit was possible thanks to the mature cooperation and participation of each and every citizen.

The true protagonists of this APEC summit were none other than the citizens themselves.

From winning the bid to host APEC, to the preparations, and finally to the successful conclusion, every step was a history of change created by the hands of our citizens.

Immediately after the bid declaration in 2021, more than 1.46 million people participated in the petition. Citizens took part in operating APEC Clean Day, promoting the K-Smile Campaign, and beautifying the city, resulting in a visibly transformed Gyeongju.

Thanks to this collaboration between citizens and the administration, Gyeongju has been recognized as Korea’s first citizen-led international conference city, where the central government, local government, and citizens are in harmony.

Through this APEC summit, Gyeongju has gained three invaluable legacies.

First is the innovation of infrastructure that elevated the city’s stature.

Urban foundations such as roads, rivers, landscapes, accommodations, and communication networks were extensively improved, and the Bomun Complex and HICO area have acquired the competitiveness befitting a world-class international conference city.

Second is the opening of a new horizon in cultural diplomacy. Local cultural contents such as Gyeongju’s specialty bread, Millennium Korean beef, Silla golden crowns, Hanbok, and Korean cuisine drew the attention of global media, imprinting Gyeongju as the “original city of Hallyu” in the minds of people around the world.

In particular, the diplomatic achievement of including “cultural and creative industries” as an official APEC agenda item in the unanimously adopted “Gyeongju Declaration” was possible because Gyeongju is a city of culture.

Third is the confidence and pride that “we can do it.”

The experience of a small city with a population of 250,000 successfully hosting such a large-scale international event will become a precious asset.

Moreover, the high level of civic consciousness demonstrated by our citizens will serve as a vital foundation for Gyeongju’s leap toward becoming a global city.

Now, what matters most is how we carry forward the achievements of APEC. We must transform the invaluable experiences and assets of APEC into driving forces for future development.

The City of Gyeongju plans to establish a “Post-APEC Headquarters” and concretize the tasks we must pursue together going forward.

In the cultural sector, we are preparing an Asian version of the Davos Forum by launching the “Gyeongju World History and Culture Forum” and constructing the “APEC Hall of Culture,” where culture, creativity, and the MICE industry will converge.

In the economic sector, we aim to become a sustainable digital economic city centered on “APEC Future Square,” the “Global CEO Summit,” and the “Gyeongbuk AI Initiative.”

In the field of peace, as the sacred site of the unification of the Three Kingdoms, we plan to establish the “Silla Unification Peace Park” and the “Korean Peninsula Unification Future Center,” continuing the legacy of APEC as a driving force for peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula.

At the heart of all these efforts are, above all, the citizens.

Now that APEC is over, we must not revert to the past. Thanks to the success of APEC, Gyeongju is currently enjoying a tourism boom.

If we see this only as an opportunity for profit and engage in practices such as overcharging or deceptive conduct, tourists will turn away from Gyeongju.

Even after APEC has ended, the mature civic spirit demonstrated through citizens’ hospitality, smiles, order, and cleanliness remains the strength of Gyeongju.

Because of the strength you have shown, Gyeongju can become a city people want to visit again-a true global city where culture and industry grow together.

The way to carry on the achievements of APEC is to never forget the spirit of the K-Smile Campaign.

Just as Silla, with the spirit of Hwarang, transcended a thousand years of history to reach the world, Gyeongju is now, under the name of APEC, once again energetically advancing toward the center of the world.