Gyeongsangbuk-do announced that it will host the "2026 World Gyeongju Forum Vision Declaration Ceremony" at the Gyeongju Lahan Hotel on the 7th, proclaiming its vision to foster Gyeongju into a "Davos of Culture" where global cultural agendas are discussed.

The vision declaration ceremony takes place a day before the opening of the "2026 World Gyeongju Forum," which is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and co-organized by Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju City, and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE). Building upon Gyeongju's international capabilities demonstrated during the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, Gyeongsangbuk-do plans to expand its global reach into the cultural sector.

The World Gyeongju Forum is an international cultural forum that seeks the future of "Gyeongju after APEC" through culture. The initiative aims to connect the achievements of the APEC Summit with international cooperation in the cultural domain, developing Gyeongju into a global cultural and knowledge platform for discussing world cultural agendas. Just as the World Economic Forum addresses economic agendas in Davos, Switzerland, the plan is to cultivate Gyeongju into a city where global cultural agendas converge.

The vision declaration ceremony will be attended by approximately 100 figures from the cultural, academic, and industrial sectors, including Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-young, Gyeongcheol-do Provincial Council Chairperson Kim Hee-su, and National Assembly Member Kim Seok-ki. The event will proceed in the order of an opening ceremony, screening of a post-APEC video, a prologue session, a keynote speech, a panel discussion, and the vision declaration.

The vision declaration outlines the direction of the "Gyeongju Agenda," which the World Gyeongju Forum will forge moving forward. Key points include: ▲ fostering the forum as a knowledge and policy platform where global cultural agendas accumulate; ▲ establishing its status as South Korea's representative cultural forum leading global cultural agendas; ▲ inheriting the achievements and legacy of the 2025 APEC Summit through international cultural cooperation; ▲ expanding K-Culture and K-Heritage globally based on Gyeongsangbuk-do’s historical and cultural assets; and ▲ building a sustainable global operating system in cooperation with governments, international organizations, academia, and industries.

Yoo Chul-gyun, President of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Development Institute (DGDI), will present the significance and operational direction of the forum. Following this, Yoo Hong-jun, Director of the National Museum of Korea, will deliver a keynote speech under the theme "Historical and Cultural City Gyeongju, Why Must It Become Davos?" He is expected to present the symbolism and potential of Gyeongju—embracing a millennium of Silla history and world heritage—as a venue for debating global cultural agendas.

In the panel discussion, Jeong Jong-sub, President of the Academy of Korean Studies (or Korea Studies Institute), will serve as moderator. Director Yoo Hong-jun, President Yoo Chul-gyun, Kim Jae-su, President of the Gyeongbuk Culture Foundation, Ham Seong-deuk, Vice President of Kyonggi University, and Cheon Kyung-jin, Secretary-General of the Jeju Forum, will exchange views on the theme "The Path Forward for the World Gyeongju Forum to Become Korea's Representative Cultural Forum."

Gyeongsangbuk-do plans to translate the cultural agendas presented in the vision declaration into international cooperation. During the 2026 World Gyeongju Forum, held at the Gyeongju Hwabaek Convention Center (HICO) from the 8th to the 9th, special sessions will be operated under the themes of "Convergence of AI and Tradition," "Modernization of Gyeongbuk Cultural Assets," and "Hallyu and Cultural Creative Industries."

Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheol-woo stated, "Gyeongju is the capital of the thousand-year Silla Dynasty and a globally connected city that successfully hosted the APEC Summit. Gyeongsangbuk-do will take the lead in growing the World Gyeongju Forum into South Korea's representative cultural forum and ensuring that the cultural agendas crafted in Gyeongju spread across the world."

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