Gyeongju: Prime Minister Kim Min-seok visited the southeastern city of Gyeongju to assess the preparations for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for later this year. During his visit, Kim conducted a meeting with officials from various ministries, local governments, and the private sector at the Hwabaek International Convention Center, the designated venue for the summit. He emphasized the critical need for meticulous preparation with a "special sense of duty."

According to Yonhap News Agency, Prime Minister Kim urged those involved to ensure that the preparations exceed the expectations of visiting world leaders. He highlighted the event as a pivotal opportunity to demonstrate that the Republic of Korea has recovered from the unrest following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law last December.

The APEC summit, which will see participation from 21 economies, is set to occur in Gyeongju between late October and early November. In a social media post earlier that day, President Lee Jae Myung directed Prime Minister Kim to "thoroughly track progress on infrastructure facilities for Gyeongju APEC." Responding promptly, Kim stated that he was en route to Gyeongju for his initial inspection of the summit site and pledged to provide a report following his evaluation.