Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at the Gyeongju Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) informal leaders' meeting about 15 minutes later than scheduled on the morning of the 31st, drawing attention from diplomatic observers on site.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung waited at the entrance for an extended period, then personally greeted and accompanied Xi Jinping inside, creating one of the most symbolic moments of the day’s multilateral meeting.
At 9:20 a.m. that morning, President Lee Jae-myung was in the first-floor lobby of the Gyeongju Hwabaek Convention Center to welcome leaders from various countries and regions. Starting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, representatives from Vietnam, the United States, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, and others entered one after another. According to the predetermined reverse alphabetical order, Xi Jinping was originally scheduled to enter between the representatives of Hong Kong and Chile, but his presence was not seen for a while, causing a brief gap on site.
Not until 10:02 a.m. did Xi Jinping arrive at the venue, attracting the attention of many. Lee Jae-myung once again walked out to greet him, smiling and saying “Welcome.” Xi Jinping replied “Hello” and shook hands rather reservedly. The two took a brief group photo and entered side by side; Lee Jae-myung softly asked, “Was there any difficulty on the way here?” Xi Jinping smiled and nodded, with the atmosphere seeming restrained yet polite.
Footage from the scene shows the Chinese interpreter relaying to Lee Jae-myung that Xi Jinping said, “Hwangnam bread (a specialty of Gyeongju) is very delicious,” drawing brief laughter. Lee Jae-myung then guided Xi Jinping to his seat.
However, in the eyes of diplomatic observers, this “15-minute-late entrance” still feels significant.
Staying at a Four-Star Hotel
Xi Jinping stayed at the well-known four-star Kolon Hotel in Gyeongju, rather than a five-star one. This choice sparked widespread attention and various interpretations.
The Kolon Hotel is the first luxury hotel in Gyeongju, established in 1978. It is renowned for its traditional Korean architectural style, spacious grounds, and high-quality service. Although rated as a four-star hotel, it is still regarded as a representative premium hotel locally.
Some suggest that Xi Jinping's move may have been intentionally meant to avoid the Hilton Hotel where U.S. President Trump is staying. The two hotels are about 7.7 kilometers apart, with clearly distinct locations.
In addition, the Kolon Hotel is located in the mountains, surrounded by tranquil greenery, which aids enhanced security and privacy, and is better at preventing external disturbance.
According to several local residents, after learning that Xi Jinping would be staying there, relevant departments quickly strengthened security measures in the surrounding area, with a notable increase in police presence, and the overall security level of the area was raised accordingly.
An APEC-related official revealed that as early as last August to September, embassies of member countries in South Korea conducted on-the-spot inspections of accommodation in Gyeongju, and sent personnel again for detailed checks at the beginning of this year; the final accommodation locations were self-determined by each country.