Gyeongju gets ready for APEC with security drills, multilingual menus and media facades

With about a week to go before the APEC meeting begins, Gyeongju was bustling with final preparations to welcome visiting guests from across the Asia-Pacific.

Police officers take part in a security exercise for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 20. [NEWS1]

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang — Hundreds of police cruisers and motorcycles formed a flashing convoy on a two-lane road near the Bomun Tourist Complex in Sinpyeong-dong, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Monday morning. The unusual scene drew stares from drivers and passersby, many of whom stopped to watch.

The motorcade — comprised of patrol cars and police motorcycles — was part of a large-scale mobile security drill preparing for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting to be held in Gyeongju later this month.

Large-scale drill ahead of summit

The drill was overseen by the Presidential Security Service. To avoid exposing the movements of national leaders, the location of the drill, participating personnel and equipment were kept confidential.

Black vans with serial numbers on their windshields were inserted among the police vehicles — seemingly standing in for the cars that will carry foreign heads of state.

Last month, 50 days ahead of the APEC meeting, police conducted a similar motorcade drill near the Bomun Tourist Complex involving 593 personnel and around 190 patrol cars to help operatives acclimate to the area.

With about a week to go before the APEC meeting begins, Gyeongju was bustling with final preparations to welcome visiting guests from across the Asia-Pacific.

One of the first landmarks to greet visitors is the newly renovated Gyeongju Interchange. Expanded toll lanes for Hi-Pass vehicles, a hanok (traditional Korean building) style toll gate and a massive hangul signboard reading “Gyeongju” have all been installed. On Monday, workers were busy repainting lane markings near the toll gate to make them more visible.

Renovated toll lanes on the Gyeongju Interchange are seen in the traditional hanok (Korean building) style ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting [KIM JUNG-SEOK]

A video announcing the APEC Economic Leaders' Summit is seen playing on a newly installed LED screen at the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center in the Bomun Tourist Complex in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 20. [KIM JUNG-SEOK]

Gyeongju transforms as APEC nears

Past the toll gate, newly paved roads created a noticeably smoother drive into the city. Banners and flags promoting the APEC summit lined the roadsides. Sculptures symbolizing Gyeongju — including replicas of Cheomseongdae and the Dabotap Pagoda — were set up at major intersections to showcase the beauty of the Silla Dynasty (B.C. 57 – A.D. 935).

The Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO), where the APEC meeting will be held, was in its final round of preparations, with a palpable sense of tension on-site.

A 5-meter-high (16 feet) steel frame had been newly erected at the HICO entrance, and workers were cleaning the building’s interior and exterior. A newly installed massive LED display on the exterior was playing videos promoting the summit.

A sculpture commemorating Gyeongju's hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is seen on an intersection in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 20. [KIM JUNG-SEOK]

“I can feel the buzz around town with all the summit preparations,” said Kim Yun-hwa, a 55-year-old resident of Gyeongju, who was picking up trash near Bomun Lake with a sack and grabber. “I wanted to do my small part to help out.”

Behind HICO, the International Media Center — still under construction — had come a long way. Just four months ago, the site lacked even a structural frame. Now the building’s exterior was nearly complete, with helmeted workers walking the site and conducting final checks.

Some restaurants near Bomun Lake had posted signs that read “World Restaurant.” The city of Gyeongju designated 150 restaurants as World Restaurants based on criteria like facilities and service quality to accommodate foreign guests. These eateries are equipped with outdoor price displays, QR menus in foreign languages, multilingual smart menus and two-way translation devices.

A worker cleans an entrance door to the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center in the Bomun Tourist Complex in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 20. [KIM JUNG-SEOK]

The International Media Center at the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center in the Bomun Tourist Complex in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, is seen under construction on Oct. 20. [KIM JUNG-SEOK]

Media facade show tells story of Silla-era astronomy

Autonomous shuttle buses were also running around the lake. On Sept. 10, Gyeongju began operating three of these buses in anticipation of the summit. The vehicles travel routes connecting Donggungwon, HICO, Gyeongju World and the Expo Park — all part of preparations to greet international visitors.

Cheomseongdae, the iconic Silla-era astronomical observatory, launched a nighttime media facade projection on Monday. The video features scenes of a Silla astronomer observing stars from Cheomseongdae, as well as projections of the Milky Way, meteor showers and comets enveloping the tower’s stone facade.

The show then transitions to scenes from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) era Celestial Chart Stone, displaying 1,467 stars, 28 constellations and guardian deities representing the cardinal directions — a sweeping visual depiction of Korean astronomy and mythology.

“With the APEC summit entering its final preparation stage, we are now thoroughly checking all preparations on-site using a checklist,” said North Gyeongsang Governor Lee Cheol-woo. “We are committed to making this summit the most successful in APEC history by concentrating all our capabilities.”

Cheomgseongdae is illuminated with projection mapping, in this image provided by the Korea Heritage Service on Oct. 20. [KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE]

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 [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]