On the 31st, Gyeongju Arts Center, where the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit was held. In front of about a dozen food trucks parked nearby, crowds were waiting for free food and drinks. Many foreign visitors were seen enjoying everyday Korean foods such as tteokbokki, sundae, and eomuk.
Hannah Fiji Hassanal, who said she came to Korea as part of the Brunei Asia Corporations Forum, said, "The schedule of the Gyeongju APEC CEO Summit was overall quite satisfactory. Everything, including Korea's traditional culture, the scenery around Gyeongju, and the meals, will stay with me," and added, "I'm thinking of taking vacation next year to visit Korea and Gyeongju again."
Foreigners who visited Gyeongju to attend the APEC CEO Summit, which opened on the 29th, generally reacted that they were satisfied with the event. There were concerns that, because Gyeongju is a small city, visitors would not be able to find lodging or that a transportation meltdown could occur, but as the APEC CEO Summit enters its fourth day since opening, it is proceeding smoothly without incident.
Even within the tight official schedule, foreign visitors gave positive marks to the Korean government and the APEC CEO Summit organizers for creating various opportunities to experience Korean culture. Some said it was disappointing that there were not enough meeting facilities or dining spaces inside the venue and that it was hard to find staff who could communicate in English.
◇ Secured two cruise ships… no lodging or price-gouging "chaos"
Most of the foreigners met at the venue said they were staying in Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, and other places. Because Gyeongju is a small city and short on hotels, they said the APEC organizers advised them to book lodging in nearby cities.
Although the accommodations were somewhat far, they said it was not inconvenient to the point of struggling to enter the venue. Hanne Lecomte, who said she came to the event as an executive of the nonprofit Concordia, said, "Shuttle buses ran every hour, so I was able to get to Gyeongju without difficulty. That's something you naturally accept at a large international event."
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which organized the APEC CEO Summit, and others put considerable effort into solving lodging and transportation issues. This year's APEC summit was attended by leaders of 14 countries, including U.S. President Donald Trump. Some leaders, including President Trump, also served as special speakers at the CEO Summit. Most hotels in downtown Gyeongju were reportedly given priority for government official from these countries.
Hosts such as KORCHAM recommended early on that private participants such as corporations stay at hotels in nearby cities and arranged multiple convenient shuttle buses to ensure smooth travel. They even secured two cruise ships (large passenger ships) to use as lodging for overseas businesspeople. They also said they checked price trends at lodging facilities in and around Gyeongju months in advance in case room rates surged sharply.
The New York Times (NYT) in the United States reported on the 28th (local time) that participants in the Gyeongju APEC events suffered major difficulties due to a shortage of lodging and poor infrastructure. It also drew a comparison to the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree in 2023, which went awry due to poor sanitation facilities, heat waves, and pests.
However, many foreign visitors met in Gyeongju questioned the NYT article. A U.S. businessperson who requested anonymity said, "I would like to tell the NYT reporter to go to an event like the Davos Forum at least once. When the Davos Forum takes place, hotel prices in Davos and nearby areas soar to several million won per day, and even then they are hard to get," adding, "Participants have to figure out scarce transport and meals in the bitter cold on their own."
The Davos Forum is held every January in Davos, a small Swiss city, and is attended by influential political and government figures, businesspeople, and scholars from around the world. The person said, "A small city like Gyeongju smoothly handling an international event attended by famous figures such as President Trump and Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, deserves praise," and added, "If the lack of nearby lodging is the problem, then all future international events should be held only in global cities like New York, Tokyo, and Seoul."
◇ Satisfaction with traditional culture, K-food, and K-beauty… "A lack of meeting space and restaurants was disappointing"
Foreigners also gave high marks to the Korean culture and meals they encountered at this APEC CEO Summit. Several domestic food and retail corporations set up exhibition halls, food experience zones, and food trucks at Gyeongju Arts Center, where the event was held. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs set up a "K-food Station" near the APEC summit venue to introduce Korean street food and traditional refreshments. Cosmetics makers set up a "K-beauty Pavilion" at Hwangnyongwon in Gyeongju where people could experience Korean cosmetics.
Traditional culture experience programs were also held in diverse forms. North Gyeongsang Province, Gyeongju City, and the APEC Organizing Committee invited several traditional arts groups, including the Miryang Baekjungnori Preservation Society, to perform. At Woljeong Bridge in Gyeongju, a "hanbok fashion show" introducing Silla's traditional hanbok and more was held.
Sanit Wiangsri, head of the Federation of Thai Industries, said, "I tried hangul writing and jegichagi at the venue. With meetings, lectures, and discussions continuing day after day, it was hectic, but I relieved stress by experiencing Korean culture whenever I could." Supasawat Naksat, a manager at the Thai Chamber of Commerce, also said, "Everything, including the pansori performance, green tea tasting, and traditional food, was satisfying."
Some foreign visitors said that, despite the meticulous preparations, the lack of basic work-related infrastructure was somewhat disappointing. Grace Cheng, a researcher at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, said, "Most of the meeting rooms were small, and there was also a shortage of work space." A foreign participant who requested anonymity pointed out, "A venue for an international event should secure space where people can have meals and drinks for business meetings, but it was hard to find such places at Gyeongju Arts Center."