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Two cruise ships dock in Pohang as accommodation for APEC visitors

Published: 29 Oct. 2025, 15:30 Updated: 29 Oct. 2025, 18:41

A cruise ship that will serve as accommodation for global CEOs during the APEC Summit docks at Yeongilman Port in Pohang, North Gyeongsang on Oct. 28. [NEWS1]

Two cruise ships have docked at Yeongilman Port in Pohang, North Gyeongsang to serve as floating hotels for foreign business leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, after organizers struggled to secure enough accommodation on land.

The Eastern Venus arrived at the port on Tuesday, releasing a thin trail of smoke from its funnel as it anchored. The Piano Land, a Chinese-flagged cruise ship, followed and moored nearby. No passengers disembarked; only crew members stepped ashore to inspect the vessels.

The ships will operate as “sea hotels” for visiting executives during the APEC meetings that run from Tuesday through Friday.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), which organized the lodging arrangement, sought the alternative after realizing that Gyeongju’s limited hotel capacity could not accommodate the influx of business leaders expected for the event.

The KCCI estimated that about 1,000 executives from 20 countries, including China and Japan, would attend the APEC CEO Summit. When hotel rooms in central Gyeongju proved insufficient, KCCI turned to Pohang Port as a solution.

The idea took shape in March when KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won met Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok and proposed using cruise ships as accommodation. The plan drew inspiration from a similar arrangement used during an international event in Vladivostok, Russia.

The Eastern Venus, a 26,594-ton vessel with 250 hotel-grade rooms, and the larger Piano Land, weighing 69,153 tons and equipped with 850 rooms, are both cruise ships that usually operate irregular routes between Busan, Japan and Hong Kong. The ships will house mainly Chinese and Japanese executives for four nights and five days until Saturday.

To streamline logistics, the KCCI coordinated with customs, immigration and quarantine authorities to waive the standard CIQ procedures for boarding the ships. Since passengers already completed entry checks upon arriving in Korea, the KCCI simplified reboarding requirements.

The KCCI also plans to operate hourly shuttle buses between Yeongilman Port and downtown Gyeongju, which is about 24 miles away, to transport participants to summit venues and related events.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]