Busan News

Busan City · Busan Metropolitan City and Busan Tourism Organization have launched the Visit Busan Pass, an exclusive tourist pass for foreigners. The card provides convenient access to 163 major tourist facilities, shops, and public transportation in the Busan area at no additional cost. There are four types: two time-limited types (24-48 hours) that can be used for 2-4 days at no additional cost, and two quantity-limited types (Big 3-Big 5) that can be used freely at 3-5 affiliated stores for 6 months. Prices range from 45,000 won to 69,000 won. Purchases can be made through the official website, OTAs such as Cloak, Trip.com, KKDay, and Rakuten Travel, and the international tourist information centers at Busan Station and Gimhae Airport. There is also a discount promotion to commemorate the launch. On the official website of Visit Busan Pass, the limited-quantity passes, Big 3 and Big 5, will be sold at 50% off each. The regular price of the Big 3 Pass is 45,000 won and the Big 5 is 65,000 won. Global OTAs such as Rakuten Travel, Klook, KKDay, and Trip.com, which sell the Busan Pass, are also offering separate discount events. In line with the resumption of outbound tourism following the turnaround of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vizit Busan Pass had a six-month pilot period prior to its official launch. During the six-month pilot period from February to the end of July, a total of 34,543 tickets were sold, exceeding the original target by 230%. The city and the corporation reportedly expanded the number of pass types to four, reflecting user satisfaction and reviews during the pilot period. "With the launch of the Busan Pass, the cost-effectiveness and convenience of traveling in Busan has been upgraded to a higher level than before," said a city official. "We expect the pass to serve as a platform to increase contact between local industries and tourists."

Busan City · The 2023 Busan One Asia Festival (BOF) K-Pop Concert, Korea's leading Hallyu cultural tourism festival hosted by Busan City and organized by Busan Tourism Organization (BTO), will take place on October 21 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium. A total of 10 top artists and rookie idol groups, including global fan favorites NCT 127, Oh My Girl, Lee Chae Yeon, The Wind, BAE173, XODIAC, CLASS:y, Zero Base One, TREASURE, and HIGHLIGHT, will present spectacular K-Pop performances. The 2023 BOF will open additional K-POP concert tickets due to strong interest from fans at home and abroad. The second round of ticket sales will be held on May 15 at 2 pm at 11th Avenue. Meanwhile, Busan Tourism Organization will collaborate with Korea Railroad Corporation to operate a BOF KTX special train to attract more overseas tourists. The BOF special travel product in conjunction with KTX is the first product developed to attract stay-over tourists to Busan, and is characterized by bundling performances, transportation, and paid tourism contents to create a customized tourism product with discounts for users of Busan Gimhae Airport and Incheon Airport-Gimpo Airport. BOF special travel products consist of K-POP concert tickets, Busan city tour tickets, and merchandise, including a discount on KTX tickets one-way (Seoul Station -> Busan Station on October 21). The BOF special tourism product has attracted great response from overseas tourists from 17 countries, including Germany, Australia, Switzerland, the United States, Macau, New Zealand, and Canada, to the extent that all 100 seats were sold out. An official from the Busan Tourism Organization said, "We will use this as an opportunity to introduce more diverse tourism products to attract more K-POP fans and overseas tourists to Busan, such as K-content experience programs and expanded train products." For more information on the 2023 BOF, visit the BOF official website, Facebook, and Instagram.  

Busan City · As the National Railroad Workers' Union (Railway Union) goes on a general strike from the 14th to the 18th, the operation of Busan passenger trains is expected to be partially disrupted.According to KORAIL on the 13th, the strike will start at 9 a.m. on the 14th and run for five days until 9 a.m. on the 18th.On the 14th, the first day, the KTX high-speed railway will operate 70% compared to usual, from 106 to 74.Saemaul trains will be reduced from 20 times to 16 times (80% operation rate), and Mugunghwa trains will also be reduced from 36 times to 25 times (70% operation rate).The Donghae Line, a metropolitan railway that can be transferred to the urban railway, will also be reduced from 104 times to 78 times (operating rate of 75%).KORAIL added that the train operation rate is expected to be similar to the first day from the 15th to the 18th, the second day, but the operation schedule has not been confirmed due to many variables such as additional manpower input so far.In preparation for the railway strike, the Busan Metropolitan Government plans to deploy 25 additional reserve buses on 24 city bus routes that overlap with the Gyeongbu Line and Donghae Line.More than 13,000 railway workers from all over the country will participate in the strike.In Busan, a strike ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on the 14th at Busan Station Square, with more than 2,000 union members in Busan expected to participate.The railway union is demanding KTX operation to Suseo, full implementation of Group 4 two shifts, sincere negotiations, and implementation of the agreement.

Busan City · Busan Tourism Organization announced today that it will operate a marine leisure program for the second half of 2023 from September 22 to October 14. The program consists of the Star-Light-Gang night LED kayaking experience, SUP (paddleboard) yoga on the Suyeong River, and Gwangalli beach sensory experience.The Suyeonggang Night LED Kayak Experience is an experience to ride a kayak equipped with LEDs against the night view of Suyeonggang River in the city center, and will be held for 280 people, 140 per day on the 22nd and 23rd of this month. SUP (paddleboard) yoga on the Suyeong River will be held six times on Saturdays and Sundays from October 14 to 23. The Beach Sensory Experience (Twilight Ocean Festa) at Gwangalli Beach is an exotic experience event consisting of group yoga, sensory meditation, and sand experience for couples and families in the evening, and 400 people can participate for two days from October 8.

Busan City · The Busan Tourism Organization announced on the 12th that it will operate the Danubi train nonstop until October to revitalize tourism to Taejongdae Amusement Park, the representative tourist destination of Yeongdo. The Busan Tourism Organization has changed the operation of the Danubi train from being closed on Mondays to nonstop operation as September and October have been designated as 'Visit Yeongdo-gu' months. The Danubi Train, a Taejongdae tourist train to revitalize fall travel tourism in Yeongdo-gu, will be discounted by up to 50 percent. On the 16th, it will also hold a 'Carnival Festival' at Taejongdae Automobile Theater, the first automobile theater in Yeongdo-gu. An official from the Busan Tourism Organization said, "It will be a special autumn trip if you visit Taejongdae Amusement Park in Yeongdo, which is full of various attractions in the best season for traveling, take the Danubi Train and enjoy a movie at the Taejongdae Automobile Theater in the evening."

Busan City · A five-star hotel has opened in Songdo, Busan, where the night view of the Songdo Marine Cable Car, which has become a landmark tourist facility representing Busan, and the lights of the graveyard off the coast of Yeongdo create a fantastic night view. Wyndham Grand, the premier brand among Wyndham Hotels & Resorts' 24 global franchise hotel brands, opened its doors in Songdo, Busan, on March 12 and began welcoming guests in earnest. Wyndham Hotels&Resorts is the world's largest American global hotel group with more than 9,000 hotels in more than 80 countries. The recently opened Wyndham Grand Busan has a total of 271 rooms, including 21 suites, all with ocean views. From the exotic harbor view in the direction of the original city center to the beautiful Songdo Sea, the panoramic ocean view adds to the charm. Rooms start on the 7th floor, so you can feel like you have the ocean at your feet. With a large banquet hall that can accommodate up to 500 people, a medium-sized banquet hall for corporate events, and meeting rooms of various sizes with natural light, the hotel expects to show that luxury weddings and MICE events are no longer limited to Haeundae and Dongbusan.

Busan City · Ticket sales for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 28th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will begin at 2 p.m. on April 20. The BIFF Secretariat released the ticketing schedule for this year's Busan International Film Festival, which kicks off next month on April 4, and has begun welcoming audiences in earnest. Ticket sales for the opening and closing ceremonies will begin at 2 p.m. on the 20th. Tickets for the Asian Content Awards & Global OTT Awards will be available at the same time. Tickets for general screenings will be available from 2pm on the 22nd. Prior to this, the screening schedule for this year's invited films will be released at 3pm on the 15th. Tickets can be purchased online at the BIFF ticketing site (https://ticket.biff.kr). Tickets for films that are not sold out online or have been canceled will be available at the door. Tickets for the closing film, three gala presentations, six on-screen films, and the Asia Content Awards and Global OTT Awards can also be purchased through BNK Busan Bank Mobile Banking Life. The 28th Busan International Film Festival will screen a total of 269 films, including 209 officially invited films and 60 community beef films, at four theaters, including the Film Center, CGV Centum City, and Lotte Cinema Centum City, from April 4 to 13 next month.

Busan City · Busan City announced on the 11th the second round of 19 teams from 9 countries for the '2023 Busan International Rock Festival' to be held at Samrak Ecological Park in Busan on October 7-8. In Korea, various performers will take the stage, including electronic music group IDIOTAPE, three-member electronica band Glen Check, three-member band FT Island, Young K, a member of the band DAY6 who recently released his first full-length album, and singer-songwriter Ha Hyun-sang. There are nine overseas musicians. They include Australia's The Kid LAROI, who spent seven weeks at No. 1 on Billboard, British trio New Hope Club, and Japanese rock bands 10-FEET and Nulbarich. In addition, Thai three-piece rock band Tilly Birds, Chinese heavy metal band Die From Sorrow, Filipino punk band flu, Taiwanese singer-songwriter L8ching, and Hong Kong band COPAK will perform on the stage. Previously, the city of Busan announced 20 teams from four countries, including Korean band Nell, French rock band Phoenix, Japanese singer-songwriter Imase, and Thai two-piece band HIPS, as the first lineup for the Busan International Rock Festival in August. The city of Busan will soon announce the third round of performers for the festival. Official tickets for the Busan International Rock Festival are priced at 110,000 won for a one-day ticket and 165,000 won for a two-day ticket, and will be sold on Yes24Ticket. Early bird tickets sold out within five minutes of going on sale. Translated with DeepL

Busan City · Visit Busan Pass, a convenient transportation pass for foreign tourists in Busan, will be officially launched on December 12. The city of Busan and the Busan Tourism Organization announced that they will hold a launch show for Visit Busan Pass at Lotte Hotel in Busan on the afternoon of the 11th. Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon and more than 200 people from merchants, the tourism industry, and related organizations attended the event to pray for the revitalization of Visit Busan Pass. The Bijit Busan Pass is a tourist pass that provides convenience for foreign tourists to travel to Busan by easily accessing major tourist facilities in Busan and linking to the transportation card function, and was piloted in the first half of this year. During the pilot period from February 1 to the end of July, 34,543 24-hour and 48-hour passes were sold, achieving 230% of the sales target. According to a survey, 97% of buyers positively evaluated the price, indicating that it was well received by foreign tourists. In line with the global tourism market, the city will officially launch four types of Bijit Busan Pass products that reflect the preferences of small groups of individual travelers: a 24-hour time-limited ticket for 49,000 won, a 48-hour ticket for 69,000 won, a quantity-limited BIG3 for 45,000 won, and a BIG5 for 65,000 won. The time-limited type is a way to freely view, enter, and use tourist facilities registered as free partner stores within a limited time without additional fees, and the quantity-limited type is a way to freely use 3 or 5 registered free partner stores. The limited-quantity 'BIG 3' and 'BIG 5' can be used freely for six months by selecting free merchants without any time limit, such as MICE tourists staying for more than three days, medical tourists, and international students. To coincide with the official launch, the city has expanded the number of Bijit Busan Pass-enabled merchants from 107 to 163, giving tourists a wider choice of tourist facilities. To celebrate the official launch, the city has also organized special promotions and various events. On the official website of Bijit Busan Pass, a 50% discount for BIG 3 and BIG 5 will be offered. Mayor Park said, "The official launch of the Bijit Busan Pass will contribute to attracting foreign tourists with attractive products with cost-effectiveness and convenience, and will be a new turning point in the Busan tourism industry as a platform that connects the local tourism industry with overseas tourists."

Busan City · This year, spring flowers in Busan and Gyeongnam are expected to bloom in the order of azalea cherry trees, starting with forsythia. According to Weather Eye, a weather information provider on the 5th, forsythia flowers in Busan are expected to bloom on the 16th, azalea on the 18th, and cherry blossoms on the 27th. The "2023 Spring Flower Prediction Map" released by the Korea Forest Service is similar. According to the Gyeongnam Arboretum's prediction of the spring flowering season this year, azaleas (28th) and cherry blossoms (April 4) are expected to bloom on the 23rd, led by forsythia. Across the country, this year's spring flowers will bloom in the order of azaleas and forsythia cherry trees. Forsythia is expected to bloom starting in the southern region and Jeju, including the 20th of Wando Arboretum and the 23rd of Halla Arboretum. Azalea is expected to have a large regional difference as Hwaaksan Mountain in Gangwon Province and Sobaeksan Mountain in Chungcheongbuk-do Province will bloom in May, starting with Jeju on the 13th.

The Busan Tourism Organization announced on the 2nd that "CGV Drive in Yeongdo," an outdoor playground for cars to be built at Taejongdae Amusement Park, will begin full-fledged operation starting with an official opening ceremony on the 10th. "CGV DRIVE IN Yeongdo" is the first permanent movie theater in Yeongdo-gu, Busan, and was built to accommodate 142 vehicles in the parking lot attached to Taejongdae Amusement Park. The Busan Tourism Organization spent about 1 billion won to create a large screen (26×12m), advanced 4K digital high-definition digital video, Dolby stereo sound, and special photo zone on the 13,400㎡ site of Taejongdae Amusement Park. In order to operate a stable operation and provide high-quality theater services, it has signed a business partnership agreement with CJ CGV and operates a movie theater. As a special opening screening, the movie "Hansan: The Appearance of a Dragon" filmed at Taewon Jagalmadang in Taejongdae Amusement Park will be screened. After the opening ceremony, the Busan Tourism Organization plans to pilot a movie preview for citizens and tourists. Lee Jung-sil, president of the Busan Tourism Organization, said, "As a new cultural tourism complex has been created in Taejongdae, we will make it a key hub for cultural tourism in Yeongdo, which we want to visit in four seasons in the future." Taejongdae Park

Busan City · The Busan Metropolitan Government announced on the 3rd that it held an opening ceremony for the Busan Modern History Museum at the former Busan Modern History Museum and began full-scale operation. The former Busan Modern History Museum was a Western-style building built in 1929 and was the Busan branch of Oriental Development Co., Ltd. during the Japanese colonial period. It was used as an American cultural center for about 50 years after liberation, but was returned to Busan in 1999 and used as a modern history museum in Busan. The Busan Metropolitan Government decided to create a new Busan Modern History Museum in connection with the former Busan Headquarters building of the Bank of Korea, and began renovating the former Busan Modern History Museum in March 2020. On the first floor of the annex, more than 10,000 books and archive materials, including books related to modern and contemporary history in Busan, are provided, and on the second floor, an exhibition space and a book reading space are provided to see the history and structure of the building. The main building of the Busan Modern History Museum, which is refurbishing the former Busan headquarters of the Bank of Korea, is scheduled to open later this year.

Busan City · Major festivals in Busan, which were canceled or reduced due to COVID-19, will be held in earnest from this year. Starting with the Busan Nakdonggang River Canola Flower Festival (April), which will be held in Daejeo Ecological Park in Gangseo-gu, Busan in April, a total of 50 festivals are scheduled in 16 districts and counties in Busan this year. This year's festival will be held as face-to-face events, including the Gijang Anchovy Festival (April 28th to 30th), the Joseon News Agency Festival (May 5th to 7th), the Busan Port Festival (May 27th to 28th), and the Busan International Rock Festival in July.

Busan City · Amid the once-cold weather in Busan and other parts of the country, the cherry blossom season is expected to accelerate as warm weather continues from the end of this month. At the Gyeongnam Arboretum in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, low-bies and revenge candles, called the herald of spring, burst into bloom on the 21st. Due to the temporary cold, the whole country is showing sub-zero weather in the morning, but the temperature is expected to rise to 10 degrees from the end of this month, and the warm weather is expected to continue.Cherry blossoms, the highlight of spring, are also expected to bloom earlier than usual. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the first cherry blossoms of this year will be seen on Jeju Island on the 20th of next month, and cherry blossoms in Busan and Gyeongnam are expected to bloom on the 24th following Jeju. Cherry blossoms are also expected to bloom in central regions such as Daejeon and Seoul within a week.About a week after the cherry blossoms bloom, 80% of the buds are expected to bloom, the Korea Meteorological Administration predicted. In particular, most festivals are expected to normalize this year, when social distancing measures that continued until mid-April last year were completely lifted. The obligation to wear a mask has also been lifted, so you can enjoy spring to your heart's content. The Jinhae Gunhang Festival, which was visited by many tourists every year, was confirmed to be held from March 25 to April 3.

Busan City · At major restaurants in Busan, smart menu have appeared that allow foreigners to easily search for menus and place orders. Busan City announced on the 6th that it has distributed smart menus using QR codes to 50 restaurants in major tourist attractions in Busan. When a customer scans the menu QR code with a smartphone, they can check the type and price of the food in not only Korean, but also English, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish along with the corresponding photo. You can also book, order and pay online. There is also an event that offers discounts on food when paying online. Busan City is promoting this project together with the Busan Tourism Association as one of the international tourism city projects contested by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Looking at the business performance, we plan to continue to expand the supply of smart menus.

Busan City · Yeongdo-gu, Busan, announced on the 12th that it will hold the 30th Yeongdo Bridge Festival under the theme of "Connecting the Culture of Yeongdo Bridge" in Amir Park and Yeongdo Bridge from the 14th to the 16th. On the 14th, the first day, the opening ceremony and the performance of the invited singer will be held. A spectacular sea fireworks show will also be held. On the 15th, the second day, 'Challenge' to solve a quiz about Yeongdo and marine culture! The main round of the "Gumin Harmony Parade" with Yeongdo Golden Bell and local residents and the "National Yeongdo Amateur Band Competition," a competition stage for amateur bands, will be held. On the last day, an eco-friendly campaign to protect the environment around Amir Park and Hari Port! It will end with the Yeongdo Fishing Competition, the closing ceremony of the Yeongdo Trot King, and the performance of the invitation tree celebration.

Busan City · Busan Jagalchi Festival, Busan's representative seafood festival, will be held in the Jagalchi Market for the first time in three years. Jung-gu, Busan, announced on the 11th that the 29th Busan Jagalchi Festival will be held in the Jagalchi Market for four days from October 13 to 16. The Busan Jagalchi Festival, which has been held every October since 1992, is one of the representative festivals in the region where various seafood foods and fireworks shows are held. The opening ceremony and fireworks show will be held at 7 p.m. on the 13th against the backdrop of the autumn night sky. In addition, the "2030 Serving Challenge Bibimbap Sharing Event" is scheduled to support the bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo. In addition, programs such as ▲ Jagalchi Yongsinje ▲ Eel and Octopus Relay ▲ Find Golden Fish ▲ Fish Making Experience ▲ Jagalchi "I'm a Singer" are prepared.

Busan City · The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) eve will be held at 6 p.m. on the outdoor stage of BIFF Square in Jung-gu District. Actor Lee Chae-young and professional host Kim Min-soo will host the eve event. Actors Kim Eui-sung, Lee Jae-yong and Hong Wan-pyo will also attend. Singer-songwriter Ahn Ye-eun's celebratory performance is also scheduled. In Nampo-dong, the "Hometown of BIFF," an audience-participating program called "Community Beef" will be held in various ways during the festival, starting with the eve festival. There will be "Request Cinema: Applying Movie Theater," where audiences become programmers and plan and operate the film festival together, and "Dayday," where one special exhibition will be held a day. The "Master Talk," which invites directors and actors to communicate, will be attended by director Kim Ji-eun of the movie "Sweet Life," actor Lee Byung-hun, and director Byun Young-joo of "Hwacha." Meanwhile, the BIFF opening ceremony, which marks its 27th anniversary this year, will be held at 7 p.m. on October 5 at the outdoor stage of the Haeundae-gu Film Center, hosted by actors Ryu Jun-yeol and Jeon Yeo-bin. Audience admission is from 5 p.m. and red carpet admission is from 5:30 p.m. Actor Yang Jo-wi's award for this year's film is scheduled to be given at 7:30 p.m. and the opening film "Scent of the Wind" will be screened at around 8:10 p.m.

Busan City · The 27th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), which opens on the 5th of next month, will start pre-ordering tickets, starting with the opening and closing films on the 23rd. Tickets for the opening ceremony will go on sale from 2pm on the 23rd. Reservations for general screenings will be held online from 2pm on the 27th. Tickets for the Asia Contents Awards (ACA), which are awarded for excellent TV, OTT, and online content across Asia, will also be sold online on the 23rd. Reservations are held on the official website of the Busan International Film Festival and the official application 'BIFF'. All tickets are issued online and through mobile, and only cancellation tickets and remaining seats can be reserved on site. The 27th Busan International Film Festival, which will be held normally for the first time in three years, will comply with the current quarantine guidelines of the government and the Busan City Quarantine Advisory Group, and will use 100% of the seats without social distancing. The 27th Busan International Film Festival will open on the 5th of next month and will be held at the Seoul Cinema Center for 10 days until the 14th.

Busan City · In October, Busan will become a huge festival city with festivals held throughout the month. The 2022 Busan International Rock Festival will be held at Samrak Ecological Park in Busan from October 1st to 2nd. In addition to regular domestic rock bands such as Jannabi, British 'Honne', 'Bastil', 'Oh Wonder', Israel's 'Hilla Ruachi', Taiwan's 'Iminus' and Thailand's 'Desktop Error' will participate and guide you to the world of rock. . It is so popular that 5,000 pre-ordered tickets are sold out in just two minutes. During the same period, at Busan Citizens Park, the Busan Street Art Festival will be held under the theme of 'Dancing City, Shaking the Street', featuring dances of various genres. Then, on October 5th, the 27th Busan International Film Festival, a feast for films representing Asia, will open a splendid curtain. 243 films from 71 countries were invited to this festival, which will be held for ten days until October 14, at the Seoul Cinema Center, and a total of 354 films including 111 community beef films will be screened. Immediately after, on October 15th, at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, the group BTS will hold a large-scale concert to pray for the bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo (Expo). This concert is expected to be a large international event as more than 3,500 key figures from 170 member countries of the International Exposition Organization (BIE), which select the venue for Expo 2030, will be invited to the concert. From October 27 to 30, the 'Busan One Asia Festival', a large-scale Hallyu culture and tourism festival, will be held in the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, Busan Citizens Park, and around the North Port of Busan Port. Top Korean K-pop groups such as Brave Girls, AB6IX, Golden Child, and Le Seraphim were named in the first lineup. This festival fever continues until the 17th Busan Fireworks Festival held on November 5 at Gwangalli Beach in Busan.