Historic city of Gyeongju faces shortage of presidential suites ahead of APEC summit

Gyeongju and North Gyeongsang have begun taking measures to prepare for an anticipated shortage of high-end accommodations for the leaders of 21 countries who will attend the APEC summit in the historic city next November.

Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO), the main venue for the upcoming 2025 APEC summit, in Gyeongju. [YONHAP]

Gyeongju and North Gyeongsang have begun taking measures to prepare for an anticipated shortage of high-end accommodations for the leaders of 21 countries who will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the historic city next November.

There are currently 103 accommodations with 4,463 rooms within a three-kilometer (1.86 mile) radius of the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO), the main venue for the upcoming 2025 APEC summit, according to the North Gyeongsang provincial government on Monday. Within a 10-kilometer radius, there are 1,333 accommodations with 13,265 rooms. This is deemed sufficient to accommodate the delegations of the 21 countries participating in the APEC summit.

However, the problem is the lack of accommodations at the presidential suite level. Presidential suites are top-class rooms with reception rooms, conference spaces and rooms for aides, as well as bedrooms.

As 6,000 people, including heads of state, ministers and businesspeople, are to visit Gyeongju, an expansion of high-end accommodations is urgently needed.

As the APEC summit is just over a year away, North Gyeongsang is creating an ordinance to support the renovation of accommodation facilities in Gyeongju. Additionally, North Gyeongsang Gov. Lee Cheol-woo launched a committee consisting of the APEC promotion team from the Foreign Ministry, officials from Gyeongju city, hotel representatives, the tourism industry as well as architects and remodeling experts.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and the Foreign Ministry’s APEC planning team visited the Gyeongju Global Convention Landmark complex on Friday to inspect the main facilities for the APEC summit. This was the ministry’s second on-site inspection since the government’s joint inspection team visited in early August.

The on-site inspection team overviewed major venues and accommodations such as HICO, Hilton Gyeongju and Sono Belle Gyeongju, and toured the venues for opening and closing banquets and tourist destinations such as the Bulguksa Temple and Gyeongju Museum. Based on these inspections, the Foreign Ministry will finalize the location of the main facilities for the summit and begin related design and renovations.

“To hold the most successful APEC summit ever, we will work closely with the central government to build quality facility infrastructure and prepare optimal operational support measures,” said Joo Nak-young, the mayor of Gyeongju.

North Gyeongsang Gov. Lee also visited the Lotte Hotel and Shilla Hotel in Seoul on Wednesday to get ideas regarding facilities and services for accommodations in Gyeongju.

“We will form a presidential suite promotion committee and complete the accommodations needed for the summit by March next year,” said Lee. “We will make sure not to be negligent in improving the urban environment and maintaining facilities so that the gathering can have the dignity and level befitting the status of the APEC summit being held in Korea for the first time in 20 years.”

BY KIM JUNG-SEOK, LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]