Home > National > Social Affairs

APEC locations in Gyeongju to become educational spaces to preserve summit's legacy

Published: 31 Oct. 2025, 17:22 Updated: 31 Oct. 2025, 18:16

President Lee Jae Myung presides over the first session of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting at the Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO) in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 31. [YONHAP]

In Gyeongju, a city in North Gyeongsang known for its tombs and Buddhist temples, the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit offered a different kind of history.

From President Lee Jae Myung’s trade accord with U.S. President Donald Trump to his first handshake with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Samsung’s unveiling of a double-folding phone, the ancient Silla-era (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) capital became, for one week, the stage for Asia’s next chapter.

Each scene unfolded across the historic city’s landmarks: the main summit hall at the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO), the Gyeongju National Museum hall that hosted the Korea-U.S. summit, the Gyeongju Expo Park’s economic exhibition hall and the newly built International Media Center (IMC) beside HICO.

The North Gyeongsang provincial government plans to repurpose these sites under its “Post-APEC” initiative, turning summit venues into cultural and educational spaces.

President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump walk to the Korea-U.S. summit venue at the Gyeongju National Museum in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 29, in this photo uploaded to Lee’s social media. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

'Post-APEC' project to preserve summit legacy

The APEC summit hall inside HICO will be preserved and transformed into an exhibition space, displaying items used by world leaders. The province aims to recreate the meeting room to give visitors a glimpse into the atmosphere of the 2025 summit.

The hall where Lee and Trump met — named after a Silla artifact featuring a human smile referred to as a “millennium smile” — will also become a permanent exhibition dedicated to APEC’s achievements and meaning.

The venue, originally constructed at a cost of 4 billion won ($2.8 million) for the APEC state leaders’ banquet, was deemed too small for that event and was replaced by a hotel ballroom. The provincial government proposed using it for the summit instead, and after multiple on-site reviews by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, it ultimately hosted the Korea-U.S. meeting in a fortunate turn of events.

As Korean museums gain popularity, thanks in part to the success of the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” the historic venue is expected to attract even greater attention.

From economic pavilion to innovation hub

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok tours the advanced future industry hall at the 2025 Gyeongju APEC K-Inno Show held at the Gyeongju Expo Park, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 30. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The economic exhibition hall, which hosted events like the K-Inno Show, will be turned into an industrial education center highlighting Korea’s industrial evolution.

Spanning 2,700 square meters (29,063 square feet), it featured themed zones during the summit, such as the Korean industrial history hall, advanced future industry pavilion, regional enterprise hall, North Gyeongsang food pavilion and a cultural experience zone showcasing hanbok (traditional Korean dress); hansik (Korean food); hanok (traditional Korean architecture); hangul, the Korean alphabet; and hanji (traditional Korean paper).

The IMC, where global media outlets broadcast APEC coverage, will later serve as an exhibition space under HICO’s management.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo hold a press conference related to the APEC Ministerial Meeting on foreign and trade affairs at the International Media Center near the Hwabaek International Convention Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 30. [NEWS1]

Looking further ahead, the province plans several “Post-Gyeongju APEC” initiatives, including the creation of an APEC memorial park, an APEC cultural hall, renovations to the Bomun Tourist Complex and the construction of a Silla history and culture park. Officials are also exploring an international Gyeongju history and culture forum, modeled after the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

A spokesperson for the APEC Preparation and Support Bureau said that since these projects could cost over 10 billion won, detailed plans will be developed after feasibility studies are completed.

“We’re not yet at the stage where concrete plans have taken shape [...] We plan to develop the details through research and feasibility studies,” the spokesperson said.

Other projects include proposals for the southern peninsula’s center for unification, a national hydrogen energy highway and the establishment of a global Saemaul economic cooperation organization.

North Gyeongsang Gov. Lee Cheol-woo said Gyeongju will be developed into a “global APEC hub of culture and technology,” adding that the goal is to ensure the summit’s legacy continues.

“We will prepare what we call the ‘Gyeongju Forum’ so that the APEC summit becomes not a one-time event, but the foundation for a new era of Korean cultural prosperity,” Lee said.

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 KIM JUNG-SEOK [[email protected]]