Stunned by the numerous archeological and cultural sites in Gyeongju, South Korea, President Marcos hopes to return there as a civilian to further explore the city’s breathtaking views.
Marcos described Gyeongju as ‘so beautiful’ during a press conference on Saturday.
‘It is actually – were you able to walk around Gyeongju? It’s so beautiful here. I’ve never been here before. I didn’t know it was that beautiful,’ the President told the Philippine media delegation who covered his participation in the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1.
‘Kaya kami mga leader, kailangan natin bumalik dito as civilians para we can look around (That’s why we the leaders, need to come back here as civilians so we can look around),’ the President added.
Gyeongju (Kyongju) is known as ‘the museum without walls’ because of the vast number of cultural properties and archaeological sites in the city, according to the UNESCO website.
The city’s name ‘Gyeongju’ was established around 935 AD by King Taejo, meaning ‘Congratulatory district,’ UNESCO said.
The city holds some of the first UNESCO designated heritage sites in the country, including Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple.
In 2000, the Gyeongju Historic Areas were designated as World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Marcos was among the leaders from 21 APEC member-economies who gathered in Gyeongju to discuss pathways toward shared prosperity under the theme ‘Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper.’