Busan, also referred to as Pusan, is Korea's second largest city with close to 4 million people. It lies in the southeast of South Korea and serves as the country's main port for international cargo, as well as for passenger ferries to Japan and Jeju (Cheju) Island.
Its geography includes a coastline with superb beaches, scenic cliffs, and mountains which provide excellent hiking and extraordinary views. Hot springs are scattered throughout the city. There are many steep hills, creating an unusual mix of mountains and ocean.
The greatest difference between Busan and other cities in Korea is that Busan has ocean tours. This means that people can see the city and surrounding areas by boat.
Busan is famous for its seafood and beaches, as well as the Hallyosudo Waterway with its picturesque islands. Though not as cosmopolitan as Seoul, there are plenty of sites to keep travellers busy exploring the mountains, temples, fun beaches and a dazzling array of eating and entertainment venues. There’s a charming element to Busan that can best be appreciated by eating and drinking with the locals.
The city's most popular tourist areas include Haeundae and Taejongdae beaches, Oryukdo island, the Jagalchi Fish Market, Geumjeongsanseong (the largest mountain fortress in the country), Beomeo Temple (one of the five largest Buddhist temples in the country), and the United Nations Park (the only international cemetery in the world dedicated exclusively to the UN soldiers who paid the ultimate price for freedom during the Korean War).
There is an effort to make the city a cultural tourist city through distinctive festivals like the Busan International Film Festival and a myriad of other festivals and events held in the city year-round. Recently, Busan has emerged as the centre of Korea's movie industry due to the successful hosting of film festivals. Busan has also been host many international sporting events.
The city is situated in the narrow Nakdong River Valley, with mountains separating some of the various districts.
Geumjeong Mountain to the west is a popular weekend hiking spot for Busan residents.
In the east is Haeundae Beach, famous for its beachfront hotels, upscale bars and a carnival boardwalk. Once known only for its hot springs, the narrow strip of sand around Haeundae has become Korea's most popular beach. During the summer vacation, especially on weekends, the area becomes a packed with humanity. Even during the colder seasons, people still flock here to walk along the boardwalk, fly kites in the ocean breeze, and look for shells in the sand. Some of the areas hotels have casinos for foreign guests and are popular for weddings and birthdays.
To the north, the neighborhoods around Busan National University stir with student cafes, bars, and open-air noodle restaurants. Asia’s largest hot spa, Dongnae Hot Springs and must-see Beomeo temple are also in this area.
Seomyeon, the city centre, is a lively restaurant and shopping area with a lane of street vendors and bars called Youth Street. Crowded with members of Korea's new generation, this area has the latest fashions. Visitors can enjoy hair dressing, miscellaneous goods, drinks, foods, amusement facilities, or just watching people.
This area forms a total culture and commercial complex, with the establishment of places for high class cultural life, such as Lotte Hotel, several department stores, and places for mass market, as well as the already established traditional markets of Seomyeon and Bujeon and an underground shopping center. Lotte Hotel and Department Store are directly connected with the subway station.
The area known as the "Foreigners' Shopping Street", near the main docks, has many Russian businesses, that cater to the local Russian population, plus the crews of foreign ships. The area was originally known as the Foreigners' Street because so many businesses were set up there during the 1940s and 1950s to cater to American soldiers in the area. It is now attracting ships from all over the world and is aspiring to become a regional financial centre.
Bustling Noompodong is the downtown movie and shopping district with a jumble of back alleys. Weekend afternoons and early evenings are ideal times to experience a teeming Asian market feel. Not far north of here is Jungangdong where there are the city’s two passenger ferry terminals, immigration office, and financial district.
Jagalchi Market, near the busy Busan Harbor is an area of narrow street stalls renowned for its vivacious fish market. In addition to a large and lively assortment of fresh and dried seafood, you can find many good seafood restaurants as well as traditional Korean food. At night, many tent stands serve seafood and drinks outdoors. The jovial Jagalchi Festival is held here every year.
During the Koryo dynasty (10th to late 14th century), Busan was named Busanpo; Busan, meaning "kettle mountain" in honour of the shape of the mountain behind it; and po, meaning "bay" or "harbour".
From the beginning of the 15th century onwards, the Korean government designated Busan as a trading port with the Japanese and allowed them to settle there. Other Japanese settlements diminished later, but the Busan settlement continued until Japan invaded Korea in 1592. After the war, diplomatic relations with Japan were established in 1607, and Busan was permitted to be reconstructed.
The Japanese settlement, though relocated into Choryang later, continued to exist until Korea was exposed to modern diplomacy in 1876. In 1876, Busan became the first international port in Korea and was opened to Japanese trade and to general foreign trade in 1883. After 1910, when Korea became a Japanese protectorate, the city was the centre of flourishing trade. Under the Japanese (1910-45) the city developed into a modern port, with ferry service connecting the city with Shimonoseki, Japan, and rail lines connecting to China and Russia terminating in Busan. It was also the only city in Korea to adopt the steam tramway before electrification was introduced in 1924. During the Korean War (1950-53), Busan was a major port of entry and supply depot for United Nations forces. It was one of the few areas in Korea that remained relatively untouched during the war with UN troops establishing a defensive perimeter around the city. The flood of Korean refugees and repatriates from overseas drastically changed the city during this time.
Since 1978, Busan has opened three container ports and is ranked by the AAPA as the world's third largest ports in terms of cargo volume and efficiency.
Busan's close proximity to the ocean gives it milder weather than other places in Korea. The best times to travel are spring and autumn, when the weather is usually sunny and warm. Spring brings sunshine and blooming flowers while autumn sets the mountains ablaze with colourful foliage. Beautiful Jeju Island, off Busan’s southern coast, enjoys a nearly sub-tropical climate where people sunbathe and frolic in clear blue water. Busan winters (December to March) are milder than the rest of the country. Rarely does it drop below freezing except in January and February. It can be a good time to visit if you enjoy skiing and snow-draped temples. Try to avoid going in the summer months from late June to August as this is the time for typhoons and heavy monsoons. It can be hot, humid and crowded in the resort areas outside of the city.
