Gyeongju wins Korea's top management award for 4th consecutive year

Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, won the Global MICE Convention City Management category at the 2026 Korea's Best Management Award, hosted by the Chosun Ilbo, for the fourth consecutive year, the city announced Thursday.

The city has built on its successful hosting of last year's APEC Summit — which demonstrated its capacity to manage large-scale international events — by pursuing a global MICE strategy that links international conferences with tourism and cultural content.

Particularly well received was the city's policy of expanding its international conference infrastructure around the Hwabaek Convention Center (HICO) and developing the MICE industry by connecting it with Gyeongju's historical and cultural heritage and tourism resources.

"In the post-APEC era, we will redouble our efforts to attract international conferences and strengthen tourism competitiveness so that Gyeongju can emerge as a world-class MICE city," Mayor Ju said.