A boat from Sea Special Attack Team conducting underwater sonar scanning to secure the safety of the Bomun lake near the venue for 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' summit in Gyeongju on Oct 20, 2025. - Reuters
SEOUL: Preparing for the arrival of US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other world leaders for this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, the ancient southeastern city of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province, was transformed into a fortress on Tuesday (Oct 28).
From the serene lakeside paths of the Bomun Tourist Complex to the bustling streets of Hwangnidan-gil, the city is now under its highest security alert — known as “gapho emergency.” The gapho alert is the highest emergency level in the police emergency response system and allows the mobilisation of 100 per cent of all available police personnel.
