Korea puts finishing touches on key facilities for APEC summit

Workers renovate the venue for the summit hall for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Sept. 15. Yonhap

Korea has put the final touches on key facilities for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, with construction of the summit hall and media center set to be completed later this month, according to officials Wednesday.

"Key facilities such as the summit hall and the media center are now in the final stages of construction, and there are no issues in completing them by September," said Kim Sang-cheol, a senior official at the city of Gyeongju that is hosting the APEC summit.

Renovation work for the presidential-level accommodation has also been completed for all facilities except for one hotel, he added, as officials from North Gyeongsang Province and Gyeongju City held a meeting to review the preparations, just 44 days before the summit.

At the Gyeongju Expo Grand Park, an exhibition dubbed the "K-Business Square" is being set up to showcase the history of Korean industries, as well as the technologies of 26 local companies. An outdoor dome at the park will feature exhibitions by leading domestic and global corporations.

A variety of cultural events are also lined up, including a special exhibition on crowns from the Silla Dynasty and another on renowned artist Nam June Paik, as well as a fashion show featuring the Korean traditional dress "hanbok."

Korea last hosted the APEC summit in 2005 in the southeastern port city of Busan.