Vietnam's Phu Quoc island to transform into grand commercial hub ahead of 2027 APEC summit

This article is by Seo Ji-eun and read by an artificial voice. PHU QUOC, Vietnam — A year ago, the southern coastline of Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island, held only open water. By the autumn of 2027, the area will be ready to host one of the most consequential gatherings in its history: the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. A 3-kilometer (1.86-mile) boulevard lined with 10,000 coconut palms and flanked by 15 international hotels will lead toward a convention center housing the world's largest ballroom, a 4,030-seat theater where a Cirque du Soleil troupe will perform nightly and a 69-story tower visible from the sea. World leaders will arrive at a new terminal and travel to the summit venue on Phu Quoc's first urban rail line. Currently, Vietnamese workers in helmets navigate the sprawling 58-hectare (143-acre) construction site on motorbikes — the fastest and most comfortable way to get around a worksite this size in temperatures that can reach 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). This Korea JoongAng Daily reporter joined a Korean media group for a walk-through of Ruby Beach on April 18, two months after construction began on the reclaimed land. The investor is Sun Group, a Vietnamese conglomerate active in multiple industries, including tourism, hospitality and infrastructure, and the company's goal is straightforward: set APEC 2027 as a fixed deadline to build infrastructure that will outlast the summit by decades, shifting Phu Quoc from a beach destination into a permanent meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) hub — with no direct regional competitor. Vietnam has hosted APEC twice before: Hanoi in 2006 and Da Nang in 2017. Korea hosted the most recent summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, in 2025. Just days after this reporter completed the media tour, President Lee Jae Myung pledged full technical and diplomatic support for Vietnam's hosting during his state visit to Hanoi. Architecture as identity The development site's "Hotel City" zone alone comprises 15 properties, including lodging belonging to global hotel brands such as the Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and Korea's Lotte, all of which will house delegations during the APEC summit before transitioning into the commercial core of the island. The design of every building has been inspired by its locale. The Lotte building, for instance, draws its palette, centered on an off-white that shifts shades in the coastal sunlight, from the island's pearl farms. The exterior of the island's Westin hotel, owned by Marriott, will be curved to resemble waves, and that of the Grand Hyatt hotel will reference the silhouette of the Phu Quoc Ridgeback, a rare and intelligent local dog breed. "Foreign guests will learn the identity of this place through the buildings themselves," said Truong Hoang Hai, the design manager for the APEC 2027 project. To support the Hotel City zone's long-term viability, Hanoi has granted a rare policy exception: The casino at the forthcoming W Hotel, also owned by Marriott, will be open to Vietnamese nationals, a privilege ordinarily reserved for those who can afford the entry fees or hold foreign passports. At the center of the site, APEC Boulevard — 68 meters (223 feet) wide and nearly 3 kilometers long — will be lined with 10,000 newly planted coconut palms and connect the island's two coastlines. A 69-story tower will mark one end, and the APEC Convention and Exhibition Center will stand on the other. The center will span more than 157,000 square meters (1.69 million square feet) across four floors, excluding the basement, and have 30 meeting rooms. The building's highlight will be the 81-meter column-free ballroom — meaning that it is not supported by any pillars — that can seat 10,000, a figure that would make it the largest of its kind in the world. The center will also house a 2,000-seat dining space developed under the creative direction of Dragone, the production company behind some of the world's mo...