Joint Government Site Inspection Team Visits Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Host City of APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM)

1. On Thursday, October 31, 2024, the Joint Government Site Inspection Team visited Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, -- the host city for the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) -- to review the progress in preparations for next year's APEC meetings.

2. At the third meeting of the Korea APEC 2025 Organizing Committee chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, the Korean government reviewed and passed the "Basic Plan for the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting." In the meeting, the Committee also decided to make seamless preparations for the success of Korea's APEC host activities and the AELM.

3. The Joint Government Site Inspection Team's visit was a follow-up measure to the Korea APEC 2025 Organizing Committee's meetings for reviewing the progress in infrastructure preparations of Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, the host city of the AELM. The Joint Government Site Inspection Team included Chang Ho-jin, Special Advisor to the President on Foreign Affairs and Security, the First Vice Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Deputy Minister of the Budget Office of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

4. Special Advisor Chang, who led the Joint Government Site Inspection Team, emphasized the government's unwavering support for the success of the AELM. He further mentioned the plan of all relevant government agencies, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Gyeongju City to work closely together in order to showcase Korea as a Global Pivotal State (GPS) and to widely promote the historical and cultural heritage of Gyeongju, a city that holds a 1,000-year history as an ancient capital.

5. Moving forward, for the success of the 2025 AELM, Special Advisor Chang will review the infrastructure of Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, together with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Preparatory Office for APEC 2025 Cho Tae-yul.