The organizing committee of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit from July 9-10 hosted the first advance visit for APEC member states to the venues of the event slated for late October in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. Shown is a briefing on the summit on July 9 in Seoul. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

By Aisylu Akhmetzianova

The organizing committee of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, on July 10 said representatives from 20 APEC member states from July 9-10 made their first advance visit to the venues of the summit.

About 120 figures took part including staff from the embassies of such countries in Seoul.

The committee on July 9 in Seoul released the summit's schedule and main agenda on the first day of the visit. The participants responded by citing the government's "substantial and solid preparation" for the event.

Peruvian Ambassador Paul Fernando Duclos Parodi, who attended the event, commended the government's "solid" preparations for the summit, saying he hopes for a successful summit after Peru, which hosted last year's conference.

The delegation on July 10 visited Busan and Gyeongju and stopped at Gimhae International Airport, the summit venue of Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center and Gyeongju National Museum, which will host banquets. They listened to explanations on the preparation status and inspected progress in the event's sites and construction.

A second advance visit is planned before the summit for a final check of the preparation status.

aisylu@korea.kr