After Dark, Historical Capital of Korea Illuminates Itself as ‘City of Beautiful Nights’

[The Insight] Media facades and Lighting Installed along Leaders’ Routes
Hanbok Fashion Show Back-dropped by Classical Architecture
Youth-led Cultural Programs to Enliven Summit Sidelines

A rendering of the media facade to be installed at Yukbuchon Village in Gyeongju’s Bomun Tourist Complex, the venue of the APEC Summit. Photo provided by North Gyeongsang Province

Gyeongju, the host city of the 2025 APEC Summit is an open-air museum steeped in the heritage of the ancient Silla Dynasty. Special events to welcome the 20,000 delegates, including leaders and business figures from 21 APEC member economies, synchronize ancient culture with millennial tech.

According to the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government on Oct. 14, final touches have been made around the Bomun Tourist Complex, home to the summit’s main venue, the Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO).

To embody the image of “The Millennium Capital of Silla ― City of Beautiful Nights,” Gyeongju has created striking nightscapes featuring illuminated tower structures and patterned floor lighting along the routes to be used by visiting leaders.

Nearby in Yukbuchon Village, a “Plaza of Light” has been installed, decorated with media façades and media art projections. Dynamic imagery cast onto the rooftops of hanok (Korean traditional houses) marry the grace of classical architecture with cutting-edge digital technology, creating signature night scenes. Along the Bomun Lake waterfront, a 15-meter-tall sculpture symbolizing the egg from which King Park Hyeokgeose － the mythical founder of the Silla Kingdom - hatched, has been erected as the official monument of the APEC Summit.

A variety of cultural events will also be held to promote Gyeongju as a “K-Culture Diplomatic City.” A hanbok (Korean traditional dress) fashion show will be held at Woljeong Bridge, harmonizing quintessentially Korean attire with historic architecture. The National Gyeongju Museum will host a concert that combines classical, Korean traditional, and jazz music, while Hwangridan Street and Gyochon Village will host the citizen-led “APEC Cultural Night” featuring performances by local artists.

During Summit Week, beginning Oct. 27, a series of high-level meetings will take place. From Oct. 27-28, the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), APEC’s working-level consultative body, will convene its final session to coordinate the Joint Declaration. The outcome will then be reviewed at the Joint Ministerial Meeting on Foreign Affairs and Trade on Oct. 29-30. The Economic Leaders’ Meeting, opening on Oct. 31, will focus on major agenda items such as cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), culminating in the adoption of a Joint Communiqué.

The APEC CEO Summit, running Oct. 29-31, is expected to feature global tech luminaries such as Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, and Sam Altman of OpenAI. The event serves as the Asia-Pacific region’s largest business forum,welcoming global CEOs and scholars.

On the evening of Oct. 31, the official leaders’ banquet will take place in the Grand Banquet Hall of the Lahan Hotel within the Bomun Tourist Complex.

Kim Hwa-yeong run@donga.com