The New York Times (NYT) said the host city of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Gyeongju, "has rich cultural heritage but lacks infrastructure."
On the 28th (local time), the NYT reported in an article titled "Korea's hosting jitters: An ancient city short on hotel rooms" that "Korea, the birthplace of K-pop, wants to showcase its cultural roots to the world from Gyeongju, but the first question for many visitors has been, 'How do we get there, and where do we stay?'"
The NYT noted that while Gyeongju boasts abundant cultural assets such as royal tombs and temples listed as UNESCO World Heritage, it does not have an international airport and lacks enough hotels to accommodate foreign dignitaries and delegations from major corporations. About 20,000 people, including leaders of the United States, China, and Japan and global CEOs, are visiting for this APEC meeting.
The newspaper said that "some cruise ships were used as temporary hotels to address the lodging shortage, and foreign delegations and the press were busy securing reservations amid soaring room rates." Organizers invested more than 10 billion won to upgrade hotels, condos, and corporate training centers around Gyeongju to leader-level accommodations (PRS level), and as a result, top-level figures secured rooms in Gyeongju, but some CEOs had to commute from nearby cities.
Confusion in preparing the venue was also pointed out. The NYT said, "A wooden structure built in the courtyard of the Gyeongju National Museum was to be used as the banquet hall, but it was deemed 'unsuitable for purpose' due to its small size and a lack of restrooms and kitchen facilities," adding, "In the end, the banquet venue was moved to a nearby hotel, and the structure will be used for bilateral meetings."
The NYT also pointed out that development restrictions in Gyeongju made it difficult to expand event infrastructure. It added that "after Gyeongju was chosen as the APEC host city, Korea went through a period of martial law and impeachment turmoil, delaying the government's preparations."
Finally, the NYT reported that "as recently as two years ago, during the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree, Korea faced international criticism over sanitation, extreme heat, and pests," adding, "there are concerns that the nightmare could be repeated at this APEC."