October 31, 2025
GYEONGJU – The usually sleepy city of Gyeongju is on high alert as it plays host to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum to be held from Oct 31 to Nov 1.
Some 19,000 police and military officers have been deployed to keep the 2,000-year-old city secure as world leaders including US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and newly minted Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived ahead of the economic meetings for bilateral summits.
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is also in Gyeongju for the Apec meetings and will travel to Seoul on Nov 1 for an official visit at the invitation of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
The tightened security – and the rallies by anti-Trump and anti-Xi protesters – have led to some inconveniences for Gyeongju residents.
“Gyeongju is a very quiet city, usually, very peaceful,” Gyeongju native Park Gi-tae, 55, told The Straits Times.
The taxi driver said he had to put up with some inconvenience on Oct 29 with some roads closed for security reasons and others crawling with rally-induced traffic jams, but added that it was something that would pass, once the meetings are over.
“On the bright side, our city has become prettier with all the sprucing up. Look at the flowers by the roadside, they usually die within the month, but the government has been replanting them so that the roads stay pretty,” said Mr Park.
“The roads are newly repaved, and the lamp posts are new, too.”
Security was visibly stepped up on Oct 30, with presidents Trump and Xi in town at the same time.
Police presence was heavy on the roads leading to Kolon Hotel where Mr Xi is staying, and a police officer stood guard every 10m.
The roads around Hwabaek International Convention Centre, where the Apec meetings will be held, were also closed to normal traffic at various times of the day to allow delegation motorcades to pass through uninterrupted.
The centre is located right opposite the Hilton Hotel, where Mr Trump and the US delegates stayed.
On Oct 30, Mr Trump left for Busan in the morning for a high-stakes summit with Mr Xi, who had just arrived from Beijing. The pair met at Gimhae International Airport, before Mr Trump’s flight back to Washington.
In an interview with The Korea Herald news outlet, Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-young said that ensuring the summit’s safety has been the city’s top concern, to guarantee the event proceeds smoothly and without incident.
On Oct 29, protests had erupted across Gyeongju, with anti-Trump protesters staking out the Hilton Hotel and the Gyeongju National Museum, where his summit with Mr Lee was to be held.
There was a slight skirmish as demonstrators managed to breach the police barricade outside the museum before the summit, but the incident was quickly resolved with no injuries reported.
The anti-Trump protesters had shouted slogans criticising the US President’s tough tariff policies and unfair demands on its ally, South Korea.
On Oct 30, protesters turned their attention to Busan’s Gimhae airport about an hour away, where the Trump-Xi summit was to be held, but they were quickly moved away to a different location by the police before the leaders arrived.
Elsewhere, in the city centre, anti-Chinese protesters demonstrated in the popular tourist spot of Hwangnidan-gil Street, known for its cafes and restaurants, while police surrounded them and kept order.
Anti-Chinese sentiment in South Korea has been on the rise ever since the short-lived declaration of martial law by former president Yoon Suk Yeol in December 2024, when his supporters fuelled speculation of Chinese interference in the country’s politics.
Some Gyeongju residents also took part in the rallies, such as taxi-driver Choi Byeong-ik, 58, who had taken a day off to participate in the anti-Chinese rally on Oct 29.
“We recognise that protesting during the Apec summit days of Oct 30 and Nov 1 will be inappropriate in front of all the world leaders, and have a negative impact on the city,” said the Gyeongju native.
“This was why we protested only on Oct 29.”
“We wanted to hold a legitimate protest within the boundaries of law, and we did. We will not hold any further protests now that the meetings are in full swing.”
The Apec summit and related meetings are the biggest events by far in Gyeongju, a city which is about twice the size of Singapore and home to a small population of 280,000 people.
Gyeongju was selected by the then-Yoon administration in June 2024 to host the Apec forum, ahead of Incheon and Jeju, which were also vying to be host cities.
Once the ancient capital of the Korean kingdom of Silla, Gyeongju is known for the historic remains of undulating grassy burial mounds, or tumuli, that are dotted around the city.