SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - A “Trump” hamburger named after the U.S. president who enjoyed it during his visit to South Korea for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) event — along with a chance to view authentic Silla dynasty crowns instead of the replica that pleased the VIPs — are among the highlights of a new tourism package launched to capitalize on APEC summit week in late October.
Gyeongsangbuk-do Culture & Tourism Corporation (GCTO) will be offering a two-day “Gyeongju APEC Trail” tour through domestic travel agencies. The program reproduces the key sites, meals, and cultural stops experienced by world leaders and their spouses during the APEC Summit held in Gyeongju.
The tour begins at Gyeongju Expo Park inside the Bomun Tourist Complex, where travelers can enter a full-scale reproduction of the APEC summit venue — the same setting where leaders from 21 economies gathered to negotiate agendas ranging from supply-chain resilience to digital governance.
Visitors then move to the Hilton Gyeongju, where the “Trump Cheeseburger Set,” specially ordered by the U.S. president during summit week, will be served. Inside the hotel’s Wooyang Museum of Art, travelers can explore the exact venue where the joint Foreign and Trade Ministers’ Meeting was held.
In the afternoon, the group visits Bulguksa Temple, which hosted the program for leaders’ spouses and daughters during the summit, offering a hands-on encounter with Silla Buddhist heritage. After dinner, travelers enjoy night-time attractions newly installed at Bomun Lake Square, including the APEC symbolic sculpture, immersive media art at Yukbuchon, and a lakefront 3D light show.
The itinerary also includes premium Korean dishes featured during summit week — including the seafood pancake from Kolon Hotel that appeared on Xi Jinping’s dinner table for two consecutive nights.
On day two, breakfast is served at Gyeongju Jungang Market, where Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee and his wife famously praised the local “sundae gomtang” and “somerigukbap.”
Travelers then tour major heritage sites, including Daereungwon, Cheomseongdae, and the National Museum of Gyeongju, where six Silla gold crowns — including one shown only as a replica during the APEC spouses’ program — are now on special display.
The tour closes with a visit to Hwangnidan-gil that hosted K-Beauty Pavilion, to which U.S. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt visited immediately after the Korea–U.S. summit and posted the unpacking of her shopping of Korean beauty products. Souvenir recommendations include APEC’s official dinner liquor, Gyo-dong Beopju, and Hwangnam-ppang, to which Chinese President Xi showed liking.
The package, priced in the 100,000-won (around $70) range per person, includes round-trip chartered bus service from the Seoul metropolitan area, one night of lodging, three meals, admission fees, a guide, and insurance.
“By transforming APEC’s most memorable moments into a travel experience, we aim to elevate Gyeongju’s cultural brand value,” said Kim Nam-il, CEO of GCTO.
The city has already seen a measurable boost. According to Hana Card data, foreign visitors spent 3.22 billion won in Gyeongju between Oct. 27 and Nov. 2 — more than triple last year’s level.
Beauty-sector transactions surged more than fourfold, while hotel spending tripled. Even after the summit ended, foreign visitor spending remained nearly 50 percent higher than a year earlier, suggesting that the APEC spotlight is delivering a lasting tourism windfall.
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