POLL Koreans point to tradition, technology as main attractions of APEC summit
Bulguk Temple in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization
Koreans highlighted Gyeongju’s traditional culture and historic sites, alongside the country’s advanced technology, as the features most likely to impress foreign leaders during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, scheduled to begin Friday in the North Gyeongsang provincial city renowned for its history, according to a recent poll commissioned by The Korea Times.
This reflects expectations that Korea will be recognized as a nation where tradition and innovation coexist through the international event.
In the survey conducted by Hankook Research for The Korea Times last week, when asked which Korean experience APEC participants would find most memorable, 43 percent of respondents chose Korea’s traditional culture and the historic sites of Gyeongju.
Following that, 25 percent cited the high-tech facilities at the venues, showcasing Korea as an IT powerhouse, while 15 percent pointed to experiences of Korean cuisine. Another 14 percent mentioned industrial site tours in areas near Gyeongju, including Busan, Ulsan and Pohang.
Gyeongju served as the capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-935 A.D.) for 992 years, making it one of Korea’s most iconic historical and cultural cities. It is also home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Bulguk Temple and Seokguram Grotto.
Across all age groups, regions and ideological orientations, traditional culture and historic sites ranked first, underscoring that Koreans see history and culture as the core values representing the country’s identity to the world.
Notably, 53 percent of respondents from Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, and 48 percent from Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province selected the historic sites. This reflects local pride in the regional economy and cultural tourism centered on the host city.
Meanwhile, advanced technologies showcasing Korea as an IT powerhouse also received strong support from respondents.
According to government officials, Gyeongju has been transformed into a high-tech experimental city ahead of the APEC meetings.
Advanced technologies have been integrated throughout the venues, accommodations, streets and lakes, including extended reality (XR) experience buses, autonomous shuttles, artificial intelligence (AI)-based translation devices and ultralow latency communication networks.
In particular, at the Bomun Lake resort area, lighting and media facades automatically adjust their brightness and colors according to pedestrian flow, and a congestion control mode will be activated automatically based on visitor density during the APEC events.
The Korea Times commissioned the survey to gauge public sentiment. Hankook Research surveyed 1,004 adults nationwide in phone interviews on Thursday and Friday. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, with a credibility rate of 95 percent. Further details are available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission’s website.
