![Gyeongju Mayor Ju Nak-young and staff from the city's public relations office pose for a photo Friday at the mayor's office to mark the city's grand prize win in the city appeal category at the 2026 Global City Brand Awards. [Gyeongju City]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/28/news-p.v1.20260828.15ece5ad1cd644e682dc94df9390956c_P1.jpg)
Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, won the grand prize in the city appeal category at the 2026 Global City Brand Awards, the city announced Friday.
Sisajournal hosted the awards ceremony, held Wednesday at Ferrum Tower in Seoul, with the Korean Association for Local Government Studies as sponsor.
Gyeongju was recognized for leveraging its rich historical and tourism assets — including a millennium of Silla dynasty heritage, UNESCO World Heritage sites and the popular Hwangni-dan-gil street — to enhance the city's appeal.
The city also drew praise for demonstrating its capacity to host major international events and its global competitiveness through the successful staging of the 2025 APEC Summit.
"This award recognizes the historical and cultural value of Gyeongju and the global competitiveness we built through the 2025 APEC Summit," Mayor Ju said. "We will build on Gyeongju's unique strengths to grow into a world-class historical and cultural tourism destination that draws visitors from around the globe."
kbj7653@heraldcorp.com
