Busan

Busan (부산, 釜山; formerly romanized as Pusan) is a large port city located in the south-eastern province of South Gyeongsang, South Korea. It is the country's second city with beautiful beaches, mountains, spas, and renowned seafood.

Busan has become a key tourist destination, especially during the summer when the beaches are packed end to end. The vibrant seafood market of Jagalchi is the most famous seafood market in Korea and walking through the older parts of the city such as Gamcheon villiage offers a sense of the past in contrast with the luxury skyscrapers along the beaches. It is also home to many events and festivals, such as the Busan International Film Festival.

Understand
Located at the southern tip of the Korean peninsula and with over 3.6 million people, Busan is South Korea's second largest city and is known for its beaches, seafood, and events such as the city's international film festival and the yearly polar bear festival. It appeals to those seeking a more laid-back atmosphere than Seoul as well as possessing an international flair, with sailors from around the world trooping through and a growing number of tourists.

The Haeundae area of Busan that contains a large amount of the city's attractions is described in a separate article.

Climate
Busan has a sub-tropical climate with a hot humid summer and autumn along with a mild winter. Busan typically doesn't experience snow. The sun is up from 07:30 - 17:15 in the winter, and 05:17 to 19:30 in the summer.

Orientation
Busan sits roughly 450 km (280 miles) southeast of Seoul and about 150 km (93 miles) northwest of Japan's main islands.

Nampodong to the south is Busan's shopping and entertainment downtown, while central Seomyeon at the intersection of metro lines 1 and 2 is the main office building area. Between them are Busan's train station and its international ferry terminals. The beaches of Gwangalli, Haeundae and Songjeong lie to the east, the ruins of mountain fortress Geumjeong guard the north. To the west is Gimhae town where the Busan Airport is located.

The eastern district of Haeundae is the most accessible area for foreigners, and many of Busan's attractions can be found here making it a good base to start exploring the city.

By plane

 * Main article: Gimhae International Airport

Busan's International Gimhae Airport lies outside Busan, offering flights to many international destinations, as well as domestic routes to Jeju island, Seoul Incheon International Airport and Seoul Gimpo. The KTX high speed train service is usually a better alternative to flying from Seoul.

There are many options getting from Gimhae airport to Busan, including Metro train, Limousine bus, local buses and taxis. (See Gimhae International Airport article)

Note that Korean Air and Asiana offer international connecting flights to Gimhae via Incheon, if purchased with another international flight with these carriers. Immigration procedures would occur at Gimhae.

Due to Gimhae airport operating beyond its design capacity, Busan is getting a second airport. It is scheduled to open in 2029.

By train
Busan is very well connected on the Korean rail network and a main hub for the fast and efficient KTX trains.

KTX trains connect Seoul to Busan via Daegu and Daejeon. The journey takes 120–150 min (₩59,800 for an adult in economy class). Tickets can be purchased at the counter but automated English-language machines are available.

Tickets can also be purchased on the Internet Korail site with an international credit card and picked up at most stations. This is very useful when planning to travel at peak times, when all tickets can quickly sell out. You can pick up your ticket at the closest station beforehand if you prefer.

First-class provides a more comfortable seat and the upgrade can be purchased en route. Snacks can be purchased on the trains from vending machines. Each car has fast, free Wi-fi, although can cut out in tunnels.

Other trains, such as Saemaeul and Mugunghwa connect Busan with other major cities as well. They're cheaper although much slower than KTX.



By car
Driving and parking in Busan can be difficult, so if you just want to look around the city then public transportation will be easier. However, if you are coming to explore the area around Busan (such as going down to Geoje) then the flexibility of driving yourself will help you enjoy it more.

You can use the Hanero Card to pay toll gates in the city.

Busan is connected by three main highways:


 * Gyeongbu Highway connects Busan with Seoul via Daejeon and Daegu.
 * Gumi Highway is an alternative highway to Daegu.
 * Namhae Highway connects Gwangju via Jinju and Sacheon.

By bus
Almost all cities and counties in South Korea have an express bus to Busan. There are two major bus stations:


 * Dongbu Intercity Bus Terminal (동부시외버스터미널), (Line 1). For points north and east (e.g. Daegu, Gyeongju, Seoul, Ulsan).
 * Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal (서부시외버스터미널), (Line 2). For points west (e.g. Jinju, Masan, Geoje Island).
 * Busan Airport Long distances buses operate from directly outside the terminals of Gimhae (Busan) Airport to the cities of Changwon, Masan, Gimhae, Geoje, Tongyeong, Gyeongju, Pohang, Daegu, Gumi and Ulsan.

By boat
Also, see the ferry times on the board (picture) to the right. Busan has regular international ferry services to Japan. Go to the International Ferry Terminal (Metro Line 1: Jungang-dong. Go right from exit 10) where you can book tickets to Japan, as well as Japan Rail tickets.

From Japan

 * Tsushima island is the only part of Japan that is sometimes visible from Busan. It is known as Daemado Island in Korean. Ferries operated by Dae-a Express Shipping, carries passengers between Busan and Hitakatsu in 1 hour 40 minutes and between Busan and Izuhara in 2 hours 40 minutes.
 * Fukuoka Japan Rail's Kyushu Beetle fast ferry runs once a day and takes about 3 and half hours. The cost of flying from Busan is comparable to the ferry. Alternatively, a normal ferry takes 7 hours.
 * Shimonoseki is 13 hours by overnight ferry with Kanpu Ferry.
 * Osaka is even further, at 19 hours total journey time.

Domestic
The car ferry from Busan to Jeju island no longer runs as of Mid-2024. The company running it (MS Ferry) appears to have gone bankrupt in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ferries to Geoje island also no longer run.

Transportation Card
You can buy Cashbee card at the subway station or convenience store. Other cards like T-money, Railplus is also accepted in the city. Some convenience stores also allow you to recharge a card, although not all card types are accepted,

You can also buy "cell phone jewelry" which is the same card except they can be attached to a mobile phone or key chain and can be used the same way. Prices for these vary, and they come in innumerable designs. It is usually sold at convenience store.

Using the transportation card will save you some money. The minimum metro fare is reduced from ₩1,400 to ₩1,300. A local bus is reduced from ₩1,200 to ₩1,080.

When leaving a bus you can 'scan out' in order to have a discounted fare when you board another bus if within 30 min. Furthermore, when you "scan out" from a metro and "scan in" to a bus within 30 min then the bus fare is reduced to ₩250.

By metro or light rail
The four lines of the Busan Metro can connect you to most places of interest in Busan. Other rides include and  (Busan-Gimhae Light Rail).

Both signage and announcements are in Korean and English, so finding your way is easy. But check carefully the direction you want to go, since once you go through the gate, it may not be possible to change platforms in many stations. For example, the Green line (2) goes between Jangsan and Yangsan which is confusing to begin with.

Single ride tickets are ₩1,400 or ₩1,600 depending on distance (hang onto your ticket until you exit). Using a transportation card discounts ₩100 and allows transfer between buses, and. An one-day ticket (only for Line 1-4) costs ₩5,000. There are also 7-day ticket and 30-day ticket if you are planning to stay long.

The meets up with lines  and. The light rail provides a convenient way for transiting to Gimhae International Airport or going to Gimhae. line is for going to Haeundae or Gijang, and will be connected to Ulsan in 2021. Both lines uses slightly different fare system, although using transportation cards allows you to transfer between those with discount.

Metro cars have specially designated seats (with obvious green stickers) for elderly, disabled and pregnant passengers. You can sit in them as long as you are prepared to give up your seat to someone who needs it.

By train
There are dedicated train stations around the city of Busan however the locations are not great and frequency of trains is low. It is almost always preferable to take the metro or bus. For example, you could take a train from Busan station to Haeundae station, however it would be more convenient to take the metro.

By taxi
There are plenty of taxis prowling the streets of Busan. Flag drop is ₩4,800 for the first 2 km, then the meter starts ticking at ₩100 for each 132 m, or every 33 seconds if the taxi is going under 15 km/h. Deluxe "mobeom" taxis (coloured black and red) charge beyond ₩7,000 for the first 3 km and then ₩200 for each 160 m or 38 seconds. Fares increase by 20% between midnight and 04:00.

If you look like a foreigner, then you are liable to be directed towards a black "mobeom" at a taxi rank. However, using the cheaper regular taxis instead is no problem.

You can use the various cashless public transport cards (Hanaro, Cashbee, T-money) to pay for taxis as well. There is however no discount.

Most taxi drivers do not speak English, although some may speak Japanese, so if you can show the name in Korean of your destination it will help a lot. In Busan most taxi drivers are friendly towards foreigners, although they often assume that a foreigner wants to go a long distance such as to the airport.

Finding and catching a taxi is easy, but expect to wait a long time to find an available taxi if it is raining.

There are some unscrupulous taxis that may attempt to charge much higher fixed fares, as much as ₩20,000, in some areas such as around the Busan port area. Insist on using the meter and get out if your driver refuses.

By bus
Busan has a good, efficient and comprehensive city bus system, although unlike the metro system it is only in Korean which makes it very challenging for foreigners to use. The front of the bus has the destination displayed in Korean, English and Japanese. Inside the bus the route maps are only in Korean, and the bus driver is unlikely to be able to speak English. If you plan to spend a long time in Busan then it is definitely worth learning how to use since it will open up locations to you that are not seen by most tourists. There are Busan-specific bus journey planning Android and iPhone apps, but none are in English.

Bus fares are ₩1,200 (₩1,080 with a Hanaro, Cashbee or T-money card) for local buses (colored blue or green), and ₩1,800 (₩1,700 with a transportation card) for chwaseok (seated) or express buses.

It is worth using a public transport card card (see Metro Section) since these can be used for transfers between buses and metro trains: just swipe your card when leaving the bus.

The front seats of the bus have yellow seat covers, which mean they are designated for elderly, pregnant or disabled people. You are can sit there, but please give up your seat if one of these people boards.

Busrides can get very bumpy on Busan's hills, therefore at rush hour you may find yourself standing up for a long journey and swaying about the whole time!

By bicycle
South Korean cities do not have a bicycle culture and the streets of Busan are not particularly safe for cyclists; drivers are not used to them. The only options for this are in the touristic Haeundae district.

On foot
Due to the mountains and valleys, Busan lacks a natural city center and is very much spread out in every direction. This means that walking around the city is impractical.

However certain sights are clustered together in a way that makes walking around them possible.


 * Haeundae – Start at the beach, turn right and walk around Dongbaek island and then explore the town.
 * Romantic Road – Start at Haeundae beach, turn left and walk to the start of Dalmaji Hill, and then walk along the MoonTan road at the top.
 * Jungang – Explore the old town around the '40 steps', and then walk to Yongdusan park and Busan Tower.
 * Centum City – Bexco, Shinsigae Shopping Mall, Busan Cinema Center and the Busan Museum of Modern Art are all located around the Centum City metro station on the Green Line (Line 2).

Talk
English in Busan is not quite as widely understood as it is in Seoul although still people should know enough to help you out. Taxi drivers are unlikely to have much English knowledge, although there is a translation service the taxi driver can call up if needed. Owing to the sizable number of Japanese tourists visiting Busan, knowing even limited Japanese may be useful since this is often understood by people working in hotels, restaurants and taxis.

Busan has a strong and distinct dialect that may be a little hard to understand if you have been studying Korean in Seoul. However, everyone in Busan will be able to understand a Seoul accent.

See
See the Districts articles for more listings.

East Busan

 * The Haeundae area in East Busan is the main tourist destination of the city and is described in its own article.
 * The Suyeong (Gwangalli) area in East Busan is another noteworthy destination of the city and is described in its own article.



Central Busan
This is the old town of Busan with a lot of post-war buildings, large docks and atmosphere. This is the place to go see the heritage of the city. The Central Busan is described in its own article.

North Busan
Easy to overlook, the north part of the city has few tourist attractions. Nevertheless, it offers excellent hiking opportunities, the famous Beomeosa Temple as well as vibrant student life around the PNU university.

West Busan
The western part of the city is full of industrial parks leading to docks and the airport. There are however some nature areas preserved, such as the Nakdong River Estuary Migratory Bird Sanctuary and Taejongdae Park.

Address System
Busan has 16 city districts and 207 towns/villages. Busan Addresses. The postal system is very fast. The road name address system is used in the same way as Seoul. (This is the same as the United States)

Do
See the Districts articles for more listings.

Events
As Korea's second largest city, there are a large number of events.

Hiking




The mountains around Busan have some good hiking trails. Hiking trails are not really well marked in Korea, even if you can read Korean script. Definitely do your research before you hike.

Hiking clothes are a must have fashion item in Korea these days, even if they only get used in the local mall. Prices are extremely high, so you should purchase what you need before coming to Korea.



Cinemas
Busan has a strong reputation for film, holding the Busan International Film Festival every year. There are cinemas in every area of the city, although unfortunately it is hard to find Korean films with English subtitles. The film festival being an exception to this.

It is really hard to get tickets to the Busan International Film Festival. People wait outside festival ticket offices for hours hoping to get something, so do some planning before traveling to Busan just for this. Haeundae beach has a public red carpet event at the beginning of the festival where you can see Korean film stars and hear them being interviewed.

Sports

 * Baseball Busan is home to the 'Lotte Giants' team, and home games are held at Sajik Baseball Stadium. Baseball is by far the most passionately followed sport in this city.
 * Basketball The Busan KT Sonicboom team is based in Sajik Arena.
 * Football (Soccer)


 * K-League 2: The Busan IPark football (soccer) team is based in the Busan Gudeok Stadium.


 * National League: The Busan Transportation Corporation football team is based at the Gudeok Stadium in Dongdaesin. They have a dedicated and regular foreigner following.



Learn

 * KLIFF provides flexible Korean language lessons in Haeundae near the beach and in the PNU university area in the north of the city.

Work
Positions teaching English are available in Busan. See the main South Korea article for details.

The Busan municipal government decided in early 2012 to phase out foreign teachers from English teaching positions in public schools. This means that English teaching opportunities will be mostly limited to the privately run Hagwons. The majority of positions are in the Haeundae district in the east, and many ESL teachers can be seen on the street around there.

Busan is much more limited than Seoul for general working opportunities. This mainly because English is less widely spoken and the city lacks the industries where foreigners can contribute, such as finance and IT. If you are an engineering background there are usually a few opportunities listed on LinkedIn.

Buy
See the Districts articles for more listings.

Currency exchange is possible near Nampo-dong and Hauendae at banks such as KB (Korea Bank of Exchange), BS Bank (Busan Bank) and NH Bank. Withdrawing cash at an ATM with your foreign MasterCard or Visa is usually simple, with most cash machines have an English language option. American Express cards are more difficult to use.

Eat
See the Districts articles for more listings.

Korea is justly renowned for its great seafood tradition, and Busan as Korea's main coastal city provides possibly the best opportunity to try fresh seafood caught locally.

Jagalchi fish market where most of the seafood is landed. You can turn up at 7AM for delicious grilled fish and a variation of Korean 'hangover soup', although many experiences at both the high and low end are available to you throughout the day.

International market where everything is available at very cheap prices. You can eat Spicy Glass Noodles, Chungmu-style Gimbap and Ssiat hotteok(sweet Korean pancake stuffed with seeds), etc.

Restaurants in Korea open and close frequently, although if an establishment listed below has closed then another good option is likely to be found close by. Korean restaurants also usually serve only a few specialty dishes, so check with your party beforehand. Vegetarians, as elsewhere in Korea, should be mindful that there are limited options in Busan.

Local specialties
There are dishes you should try in Busan that are not typically available in other parts of Korea.
 * Dong-nae pajeon (동래파전) is a seafood and green onion pancake, an affordable and popular Busan dish.
 * Daegu Tang (대구탕) is a delicious flaky cod soup with vegetables. You will find dedicated restaurants for this at the east side of Haeundae beach.
 * Bokguk (복국) is a soup made with pufferfish, the type of which is extremely poisonous. It is the same as Japanese fugu. There are many places in Busan licensed to prepare pufferfish, but you may want to know what you are getting into. Typically there are cartoon pictures of a fish looking like a balloon outside, so should be easy to spot.
 * Eomuk (어묵) is a fishcake made out of fish or other seafood and mixed with starch. It's usually fried or boiled, and collectively called nerimono in Japan. Busan is famous for eomuk, and there are many sellers and chains throughout the city, especially around Jagalchi, Ggangtong market, and Busan station.

Drink
See the Districts articles for more listings.

Busan has thousands if not tens of thousands of drinking places scattered throughout the city and popular spots include Nampodong and the area around Pusan National University.

Just look around, and look up, on most streets if you are looking for a bar. Any tall commercial building is likely to have a few inside, usually with English words displayed and often the German word 'Hof' that indicated a place for eating and drinking.

The Kyungsung University area has the most selections in terms of density and sheer numbers of drinking establishments of any area in Busan.

Gwangalli beach in Suyeong is a great place for a drink, especially at night time with the Gwangan bridge lit up over the bay.

In Haeundae, most of the bars that appeal to westerners are on the main street (Gunam-ro) between Haeundae metro station (exit 5) and the beach. Refer to the main Haeundae article for a full list.

Sleep
See the Districts articles for more listings.


 * Budget: Many budget options are available in Busan's Haeundae district, Central Busan and Suyeong.
 * Love Motels: All sorts of love motels can be found throughout the city, for example near the bus terminals, and can represent a good bargain. Generally ₩30,000-50,000 per night.




 * Luxury: Most of Busan's luxury hotels are along Haeundae Beach. Please see the Haeundae article for more details. The hotels there usually offer ocean view and city view rooms, but be prepared to pay extra for the ocean view. Weekend rates are always more expensive than weekday rates, and rates are very high during the summer peak season which varies by hotel but is roughly July to August). Rates can also go up during special events, such as the Busan International Film Festival. Central Busan also has a couple of luxury options.

Connect

 * Emergency Numbers

Stay safe
Generally speaking Busan is as safe as most places in South Korea, which is to say very safe.

Busan is very safe to roam around freely at night. Be a little bit cautious when most bars close at around 03:00. Some bars stay open until the business dies down and in many cases this may not be until sunrise. Also take care in the area around Busan Station. If any place could be deemed seedy in Busan (which would be a stretch) this area could be considered so.

On the metro late at night, you may encounter elderly men who are rather vocal, and under the influence of alcohol, who may be unpleasant towards you. This is however unlikely to be dangerous, and you should just move to another metro car.

There are occasionally sand storms from China covering Busan. You should avoid going outside if one passes through.

Driving standards are rather erratic in Busan, even by general Korean standards. Be careful of zebra crossing without traffic lights since they are effectively ignored. Local women driving large SUVs with mobile phones glued to their ears are a common sight, as are the in-car TV entertainment systems running in many vehicles. Also be wary of motorcycles and scooters, since they tend to follow even fewer road rules and are often trying to deliver something very quickly. Switching between sidewalk and road as it suits.

At the beach
Beaches in Busan do experience riptides, and lifeguard cover outside summer is limited.

There is a tsunami warning system and signs on the beaches, although the risk of a tsunami is far less than in nearby Japan. In the unlikely event a tsunami warning is issued for Busan or the South Korean coastline, head for the top of a tall building or higher ground. Higher ground not being easily accessible on Haeundae Beach.

Every summer the local press gets very concerned about foreigners behaving badly on Busan beaches, usually by photographing Korean girls wearing bikinis, although the same press publishes similar photos of foreign women on Busan beaches. Since it can be a police matter, be careful what pictures you take on the beach.

Consulates
With Seoul being so close by KTX train, the consulates in Busan do not have a lot to do. The British Consulate appears to have closed. For quick responses you should get your country's Embassy contact details in Seoul.

Government websites
The Busan government websites often provide useful tourist information in English, but then neglect to maintain them. For example, the now discontinued ferry to Geoje island is still listed as a current destination and many links to other English language pages are frequently broken. You should always double check before planning an itinerary.

Go next

 * Gyeongju - arguably Korea's cultural capital, just over an hour away by bus or direct train
 * Geoje - Korea's second largest resort island, now directly accessible by bridge and slightly over an hour away by expressway bus
 * Jinju - a quiet city known for its fortress, 1.5 hours away by bus
 * Miryang - a peaceful country town and location for many Korean films, 1 hour away by bus or direct train
 * Jeju Island - South Korea's favorite domestic vacation spot, reachable in 1 hour by plane.
 * Tsushima island, Japan, makes for a good day trip from Busan.
 * Fukuoka is the closest major Japanese city, just 3.5 hours away by hydrofoil (or 7 hours by regular ferry, or a 1-hour flight)
 * Japan. You can sail to Fukuoka or Osaka and then use the Japan Rail network. You can also purchase a Japan Rail Pass at the International Ferry Terminal.