APEC 2025 in Gyeongju: Where Ancient Korea Meets the Global Future

[mediK / HEALTH IN NEWS] This fall, the millennium-old city of Gyeongju will command the world’s attention. From late October into early November, the HICO (Hwabaek International Convention Center) will host the APEC summit, drawing leaders from 21 economies and some 20,000 delegates. For South Korea, it marks the first time in 20 years—since Busan in 2005—that the country plays host to this gathering of Pacific Rim powers.

Why Gyeongju, and why now?

Gyeongju is far more than a conference backdrop. For a thousand years the capital of the Silla kingdom, it cradles Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, the Daereungwon tomb complex, and the Cheomseongdae observatory—all UNESCO World Heritage sites. Here, Korea’s spiritual and aesthetic DNA is on full display.

The summit’s theme, “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow,” pivots on three pillars: Connect, Innovate, Prosper. Delegates will wrestle with global trade, tech cooperation, AI-driven growth, and climate resilience. In a city where history and cutting-edge infrastructure coexist, the past and future share the same stage.

A recent Korea Research survey found that 43% of past APEC visitors ranked “Gyeongju’s traditional culture and historic sites” as their most memorable Korean experience. The city distills the nation’s identity with rare grace.

The Appearance of Cheomseongdae, Gyeongju's Cultural Treasure (Image provided by APEC 2025 KOREA)

A traveler’s shortcut to the heart of Korea

From Seoul, the KTX bullet train reaches Gyeongju in about two hours; express buses take three and a half. Either journey is a primer in Korean travel.

Board the train at Seoul Station with a lunchbox, triangular gimbap (seaweed-wrapped rice triangles), and banana milk (banana uyu, 바나나우유 in Korean). Outside the window, rice paddies, rivers, and gentle mountains unroll in quiet succession.

On the bus, highway rest stops tempt with walnut pastries (hodu gwaja, 호두과자), so-tteok so-tteok (mini rice-cake-and-sausage skewers), and fish-cake hot bars (eomuk hot bar, 어묵 핫바). Each bite is a roadside rite of passage.

South Korea's mountainous terrain makes train travel a delight, with the scenery unfolding beyond the window like a private show. Mountains, rivers, and fields shift hues with the seasons, turning the ride itself into a quiet meditation on the land.(Image provided by Clipart Korea)

In Gyeongju, Hwangnidan-gil’s stylish cafés, the floodlit serenity of Bulguksa at night, and the mirror-like reflections at Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond pull visitors in. During the summit, the city will pulse with traditional performances, a global food festival, and hanbok try-on sessions—cultural immersion layered atop diplomatic fervor.

Gyeongju has preserved its relics while wiring itself with a state-of-the-art convention center and robust IT backbone. It is living proof that heritage and innovation need not compete.

The 2025 APEC will showcase Korean technology and cultural patrimony on the same world stage. If your travel calendar includes autumn in South Korea, set your compass for Gyeongju. What awaits is not mere sightseeing but a living international theater where history, culture, and tomorrow breathe in unison.

Oh Ha Eun medi·K TEAM press@themedik.kr

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APEC 2025 in Gyeongju: Where Ancient Korea Meets the Global Future

This fall, the millennium-old city of Gyeongju will command the world’s attention. From late October into early November, the HICO (Hwabaek International Convention Center) will host the APEC summit, drawing leaders from 21 economies and some 20,000 delegates. For South Korea, it marks the first time in 20 years—since Busan in 2005—that the country plays host to this gathering of Pacific Rim powers.Why Gyeongju, and why now?Gyeongju is far more than a conference backdrop. For a thousand years the capital of the Silla kingdom, it cradles Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, the Daereungwon tom