Gyeongju hosts 3rd FEALAC Cultural Cities Network meeting, first in 8 years

The city of Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-hosted the 3rd Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) Cultural Cities Network Meeting at the Hwabaek International Convention Center in Gyeongju on Friday.

The meeting was the first of its kind in eight years, following the 2nd session held in Argentina in 2018, and was organized to expand exchanges and cooperation among cultural cities in East Asia and Latin America.

Held under the theme "Urban Development and Connectivity Through Culture: An East Asia-Latin America Partnership for a Sustainable Future," the meeting drew more than 80 local government officials and diplomacy and culture representatives from 15 countries, including Gyeongju Mayor Ju Nak-young and Choi Jun-ho, director general for Latin American affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

FEALAC is the only intergovernmental multilateral consultative body linking the two regions, with 36 member states — 16 from East Asia and 20 from Latin America.

The meeting was held in conjunction with the 2026 World Gyeongju Forum, with participants exploring ways to achieve sustainable urban development through cultural heritage, creative industries and tourism.

The session was divided into two thematic tracks: urban regeneration through cultural assets, and community development and city diplomacy through culture.

Cultural policy and urban regeneration case studies were presented by eight cities — Gyeongju and Cheongju in South Korea, along with Chiang Mai in Thailand, Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, Siem Reap in Cambodia, Yogyakarta in Indonesia, São Paulo in Brazil and Mérida in Mexico.

Participants shared their cities' experiences in cultural policy and urban regeneration and discussed ways to deepen cooperation among cultural cities.

At a dinner hosted by Gyeongju's vice mayor, officials from participating cities including Chiang Mai, Ulaanbaatar and São Paulo further discussed ways to expand cultural exchange and cooperation.

"Cultural heritage grows in value when it connects to the lives of citizens and the development of cities," Gyeongju Mayor Ju said. "We will work to ensure this meeting leads to sustained cultural exchange and cooperation."