Joo Nak-young, left, mayor of Gyeongju, poses with Philip Goldberg, the U.S. ambassador to Korea, at the Gyeongju National Museum, Sunday. Courtesy of Gyeongju City Hall
Joo Nak-young, mayor of Gyeongju, met with Philip Goldberg, the U.S. ambassador to Korea, to discuss mutual exchange and cooperation at the Gyeongju National Museum, Sunday. This visit marked Goldberg's first trip to Gyeongju.
In mid-June, the ancient city of Gyeongju located in southeastern Korea was picked to host the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Joo emphasized that Gyeongju is fully prepared to successfully host the APEC Summit.
"Gyeongju is ready to host the APEC Summit with great success," Joo said, highlighting the city's preparations and capabilities.
Goldberg, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2022 and officially assumed his position in Korea in July 2022, holds the highest-ranking position among U.S. State Department diplomats. He previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines during the Southeast Asian country's APEC chairmanship in 2015.
The APEC Summit is scheduled for November 2025. The event will be hosted in the country for the first time in 20 years since its previous one, which was held in the southeastern port city of Busan in 2005.
Joo underscored the deep connection between the United States and Gyeongju, recalling former President George W. Bush's visit to the city during the APEC Summit in 2005.
"The relationship between the U.S. and Gyeongju is very deep," Joo said. He requested that the ambassador share the U.S.' extensive experience and expertise in hosting APEC Summits, having done so in 1993, 2011 and 2023.
After the meeting, Goldberg toured Gyeongju's renowned UNESCO World Heritage sites, Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto, before departing.
Gyeongju has a history of maintaining various exchanges with the U.S. government and Congress. Notable visits include former U.S. Ambassador to Korea Mark Lippert in 2015, former U.S. Consul General in Busan Daniel Gedacht in 2019 and members of the Former Members of Congress.