Police rehearsed counterterrorism scenarios targeting key hotels and venues ahead of the APEC summit, simulating bomb and hostage attacks and deploying special forces, aviation units, and bomb disposal teams to test step-by-step response procedures. (Photo courtesy of Busan Metropolitan Police Agency)
GYEONGJU, South Korea, Sept. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — In just six weeks, the historic city of Gyeongju will be transformed into a fortress. When world leaders converge here for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit at the end of October, the streets around the conference halls and banquet sites will be sealed tight, the skies monitored, and even the waters of a nearby lake partially drained — all part of what officials describe as “vacuum-level” security.
The main summit, scheduled for Oct. 31–Nov. 1, will be hosted at the HICO Convention Center inside the Bomun Tourist Complex, with the leaders’ banquet staged at the National Gyeongju Museum. Both venues, normally magnets for tourists, are already undergoing sweeping security checks as police, counterterrorism units, and coast guard teams rehearse responses to every conceivable threat.
Authorities say as many as 18,500 personnel will be deployed daily, backed by armored vehicles, helicopters, drone-jamming devices, and counterterrorism squads. To accommodate the influx, 13,000 hotel rooms have been secured across Gyeongju and neighboring cities like Pohang, Ulsan, and Busan.
Echoes of 2005 Busan
The scale recalls the last time South Korea hosted APEC in 2005, when Busan became the center of global attention. Then, the Iraq War had heightened terrorism fears, and protests by non-governmental organizations added another layer of unpredictability. Security agencies began planning more than a year in advance, rolling out multilayered checkpoints, deploying special police commandos, and even converting hotels into controlled zones where normal business was curtailed.
That experience looms large for Gyeongju. “We learned then that the combination of international terrorism threats and domestic protest movements requires nothing short of airtight coordination,” said one retired senior police official who oversaw operations in Busan. “APEC isn’t just another diplomatic event. It’s a target-rich environment.”
South Korea Plans Vacuum-Level Security Ahead of High-Stakes APEC in Gyeongju (Yonhap)
Extraordinary Measures
This year’s preparations go beyond the visible. The coast guard plans to drain 70 percent of the Bomun Lake, which sits adjacent to the summit venues, to inspect for hazards before refilling it and deploying patrol boats. Police rehearsals earlier this month involved nearly 600 motorcade staff and close to 200 patrol vehicles weaving through the complex, testing traffic management and evacuation scenarios.
At the summit itself, only vetted personnel will be allowed through restricted corridors, passing millimeter-wave scanners and multiple layers of fencing and barricades. “Even a temporary staffer will face thorough vetting,” a security official said.
Balancing Diplomacy and Protest
Security planners are also bracing for demonstrations. Progressive groups have criticized APEC as a symbol of economic inequality and foreign influence, with some signaling plans for rallies in Seoul and potentially in Gyeongju. Police say they will establish “special security zones” around the summit sites to prevent surprise gatherings.
That balancing act — keeping global leaders safe while managing South Korea’s own vibrant protest culture — may prove one of the toughest challenges. In Busan two decades ago, anti-APEC demonstrations swelled into the thousands, though they were kept away from official venues.
LG is promoting the upcoming ‘2025 APEC Summit’ in Gyeongju this October at global landmarks such as New York’s Times Square and London’s Piccadilly Circus. The photo shows a promotional video playing on a billboard in Piccadilly Circus, London. (Photo provided by LG Electronics)
Broader Stakes
The timing of the summit is delicate for President Lee Jae-myung, who is navigating both domestic discontent and complex ties with Washington, Beijing, and Tokyo. Gyeongju’s ability to host a flawless APEC will be viewed not just as a logistical feat but also as a measure of South Korea’s diplomatic maturity.
“South Korea wants to show it can handle major global events with the same professionalism as Tokyo or Singapore,” said Park Hyun-soo, a professor of international relations at Korea University. “The stakes are both symbolic and practical. Any lapse — a protest breaking through, a security incident, even a traffic jam — would be magnified.”
Construction is underway to prepare the banquet hall ahead of the APEC summit in Gyeongju.
An ‘Airtight’ Pledge
For now, preparations intensify by the day. Local hotels are filling with security staff; roads are being surveyed for motorcade routes; and even the cultural programming around the summit is being screened for vulnerabilities.
“Our visitors’ safety cannot be compromised,” a police spokesperson said in a briefing this week. “During APEC, we will maintain an airtight posture. Nothing is left to chance.”
For the residents of Gyeongju, that means a temporary transformation: a city of ancient temples and royal tombs remade into one of the most heavily guarded places on the planet.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
