Gyeongju gov't delegation visits Peru to learn APEC summit lessons

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Gyeongju gov't delegation visits Peru to learn APEC summit lessons

Published: 27 Nov. 2024, 15:54

LIM JEONG-WON
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Members of a delegation from the Gyeongju city government, including Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-young, second from left, meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, at a hotel in Lima, Peru on Nov. 17. [APEC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE]

A delegation from the Gyeongju city government visited Peru from Nov. 14 to Sunday to lay the foundation for Korea to successfully host the 2025 APEC summit in Gyeongju.

The delegation, including Mayor Joo Nak-young, visited major cities in Peru such as Lima, Arequipa and Urubamba to share the experience of operating meetings for the APEC summit this year and promoted Gyeongju’s environmental technology and tourism resources.

During the trip, the delegation visited the Lima Convention Center to observe the preparation process for the 2024 APEC summit in Peru and met with President Yoon Suk Yeol to request government support for the successful hosting of the APEC summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, next year.

In addition, during a meeting with Rafael López Aliaga, the mayor of Lima, the delegation discussed ways for Gyeongju and Lima to cooperate and for the cities to strengthen their international status. A photo exhibition about Gyeongju was held in Lima during the delegation’s visit, which provided an opportunity to promote Gyeongju to representatives from various countries worldwide.

During the delegation’s visit to Arequipa, the delegation met with Mayor Victor Hugo Rivera and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation while commemorating the 10th anniversary of the friendship relationship between Arequipa and Gyeongju.

In particular, the delegation solidified cooperation in education and research between the two cities by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for academic exchange between the Dongguk University WISE Campus in Gyeongju and San Agustin National University in Arequipa.

Another photo exhibition on Gyeongju was held at the San Agustin National University campus for the successful hosting of the 2025 APEC summit.

In Urubamba, the delegation met with Mayor Ronald Vera Gallegos, who shared Peru’s experience hosting this year’s APEC summit. The delegation introduced Gyeongju’s advanced sewage treatment technology, the GK-SRB method.

The GK-SRB method is an environmentally friendly technology with excellent nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency and energy-saving effects. Gyeongju was the first local government in Korea to receive the Environment Ministry’s Environmental New Technology Certification in 2022.

Gallegos showed great interest in Gyeongju’s advanced environmental technology and announced that Urubamba would review cooperation plans with neighboring cities.

The delegation visited the Tambo del Inca Hotel, where the APEC tourism ministers’ and senior officials’ meetings were held, inspected the conference hall and main facilities, and collected data for preparations for next year’s summit in Gyeongju.

“This visit to Peru is an important steppingstone for Gyeongju to leap forward as a global city,” said Joo in a press release. “We will focus all our capabilities on successfully hosting the 2025 APEC Summit.”

The delegation departed for Korea around midnight Sunday and returned on Tuesday.

KIM NA-HYE,LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]