Located in the southeast of the Korean Peninsula, it’s a metropolitan city. As the second-largest city in South Korea and the largest maritime city, it has developed maritime trade and logistics industries centered around Busan Port. Facing Japan across the Korea Strait, its city hall is in Yeonsan-dong, Yeonje-gu, and it is divided into 15 districts and 1 county.
People began to settle in the Busan area from the Stone Age. During the Three Kingdoms period, there were tribal states such as “Geochilsan-guk” in present-day Dongnae-gu and Nam-gu, “Jangsan-guk” and “Naesan-guk” in Gijang and Haeundae areas, and tribal states like “Garak-guk” in Seomyeon and Nampo-dong. Later, during the Three Kingdoms period, Silla conquered Jangsan-guk and Geochilsan-guk around the late 1st century AD during the reign of King Taejadae Isageum.
The area around Busan Port became a battlefield between Silla and Gaya, with the establishment of Jongbal Castle by Gaya. Around 400 AD, Gaya, allied with Baekje and Wa (Japan), invaded Silla but was defeated by the Goguryeo army of King Gwanggaeto the Great, leading to the incorporation of the entire Busan region into Silla’s territory. The old Geochilsan-guk became Geochilsan County, and Jongbal Castle was renamed Daejeung-hyeon, meaning “big pot county.” In 757 AD, during the Unified Silla period, as part of administrative reforms under King Gyeongdeok, Geochilsan County was renamed Dongnae County, which was then under Yangju (present-day Yangsan). Daejeung-hyeon was renamed Dongpyeong-hyeon and became part of Dongnae County along with Gijang-hyeon.
When Korea was forcibly opened by the Treaty of Ganghwa in 1876, Busan, along with Incheon and Wonsan, was opened to foreign trade, and the Japanese settlement became established. In January 1877, with the signing of the “Busan Settlement Treaty,” Japan began to exert its influence by dispatching administrative officials to oversee the protection and management of Japanese residents and trade affairs. In 1880, Japan formally established a consulate and effectively turned the Japanese settlement into Japanese territory. From regulating housing structures to long-term planning of roads, Japan laid the groundwork for colonial rule, even completing surveys for railway construction by the 1880s. Within a short period of less than ten years after opening, Busan transformed into a city dominated by a small number of Japanese residents. On June 23, 1895 (lunar calendar, May 1), Dongnae Prefecture became Dongnae County, and the following year, on August 4, 1896, it was reorganized into Dongnae County, Gyeongsangnam-do. Subsequently, as Busan Port developed into a trading port, the city progressed. In 1905, with the opening of the Gyeongbu Line, Busan Station began operations.
During the Japanese colonial period, on April 1, 1914, Busan-bu was divided into Busan-bu and Dongnae County, and at the same time, the outer region of Gijang County was incorporated into Dongnae County. On April 1, 1925, the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Office was relocated from Jinju to Ami-dong in Busan. In 1936, some areas of Seomyeon (currently in Busanjin-gu) and Saha-myeon in Dongnae County were incorporated into Busan-bu, and in 1942, parts of Dongnae-eup (current Dongnae-gu), Saha-myeon, Nam-myeon, and parts of Buk-myeon were incorporated into Busan-bu.
On August 15, 1949, Busan was designated as a city when it was renamed Busan City. When the Korean War broke out in 1950 and Seoul fell, Busan became the provisional capital of South Korea from 1950 to 1953. Many refugees fled to Busan to escape the war, causing a rapid increase in population. On January 1, 1963, it was promoted from being under the jurisdiction of Gyeongsangnam-do to being a directly controlled city. However, at that time, it was simply called “Busan City,” and only because it was directly controlled by the government, it did not have “Gyeongsangnam-do” in its name. It wasn’t until 1981 that it was officially called Busan Jikhalsi. However, unofficially, the term “Busan Jikhalsi” was already in use, as seen in newspaper articles from that time. Therefore, while it was indeed a “directly controlled city,” it was not specifically referred to as “Busan Jikhalsi” in the transitional period. In recent years, to distinguish between the era when it was under the jurisdiction of Gyeongsangnam-do and the era when it was under direct government control, it has become a trend to use “(Directly Governed) Busan City” to denote this period.
On February 15, 1978, Daejeo-eup and Myeongji-myeon in Gimhae-gun, west of the Nakdong River, were incorporated into Busan City. On April 4, 1981, through an amendment to the Temporary Measures Act on Local Administration, Busan officially acquired the name “Busan Jikhalsi” in the legal system. On January 1, 1989, Noksan-myeon and Gaknak-myeon in Gimhae-gun were incorporated into Gangseo-gu, Busan Jikhalsi. In accordance with the amendment of the Local Autonomy Act on December 20, 1994, all directly governed cities were uniformly renamed as metropolitan cities on January 1, 1995, and Busan Jikhalsi became Busan Metropolitan City. In 1995, Gimhae-gun was newly established with the incorporation of Gijang-eup, Jang’an-eup, Ilgwang-myeon, Jeonggwan-myeon, and Cheolma-myeon from Yangsan-gun. The Busan International Film Festival began in 1996. In 1999, the city hall was relocated from Jung-gu to Yeonje-gu, and nearby government offices such as the courts and prosecutor’s office were also relocated. In 2002, the FIFA World Cup and the 2002 Asian Games were held, and on November 18, 2005, the APEC Summit was held.
Located in the southeast of the Korean Peninsula, Busan faces Japan across the Korea Strait. The straight-line distance from the city hall to Tsushima Island is 49.5km, and to Fukuoka on the Japanese mainland is about 180km, which is significantly closer compared to the 325km straight-line distance to Seoul. To the west lies the Gimhae Plain, the lower reaches of the Nakdong River, to the north are the Geumjeong Mountains, to the east is the East Sea, and to the south is the Namhae area. Administratively, it borders Gimhae City and Jinhae-gu in Changwon City to the west, Yangsan City to the north, and Ulsan Metropolitan City to the northeast. The total area is 769.82km².
The terrain of Busan can be broadly divided into the hilly eastern region and the flat western region. The eastern part is mostly covered with hills ranging from 300 to 700 meters above sea level, surrounding Busan Harbor like a screen. The coastline is rugged with a ria coast, and the coastal plains are not well developed, so flat areas are limited. The Gimhae Plain, which was incorporated into Busan from Gimhae, is a triangular plain developed at the mouth of the Nakdong River, composed of sedimentary layers averaging over 60 meters thick, which have been deposited for a long time from the upper reaches of the Nakdong River, and it is a highly productive flatland used for cultivation. Even now, sandbars are developing along the coastlines due to the flow of the Nakdong River and coastal currents.
Busan has a climate that is a mix of temperate maritime and warm humid climates. The average temperature in January is 3.6°C, while in August, it is 26.1°C. The annual average temperature is 15.0°C, and the annual average rainfall is 1,576.7mm. It has the warmest climate on the Korean Peninsula, excluding Jeju Island, and is well-suited for broad-leaved forests like the evergreen broad-leaved forests commonly found along the eastern coast of Asia. It’s relatively dry in winter and humid in summer, making water resource management challenging. As a result, the downstream water flow of the Nakdong River is quite significant. Located to the south of the Korean Peninsula, it mainly receives rain and rarely sees snow even in winter.
In 2011, Busan’s gross regional product (GRP) reached 62.7 trillion won, marking an increase of 3.2 trillion won compared to the previous year. The industrial structure of Busan, based on GRP, saw the manufacturing sector increase by 0.2 percentage points to 19.7%, while the service sector decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 71.1% compared to the previous year.
According to the ‘2011 Regional Income Indicators’ by Statistics Korea, the total income earned by Busan citizens, known as Gross Regional Income (GRI), amounted to 69.1 trillion won, showing an increase of about 9% compared to 2010. This growth rate is 2.8 percentage points higher than the national average of 6.2% and ranks second nationwide, following Jeju Island.
The per capita gross national income (GNI) of Busan citizens in 2011 was 14,844,000 won, an increase from the fourth place in 2010, surpassing Daejeon to rank third nationwide, following Ulsan and Seoul. Busan’s per capita private consumption is at the level of 13,064,000 won, ranking fourth nationwide. The personal income growth rate is 11.7%, which is 3.4 percentage points higher than the national average of 8.3%, ranking second nationwide after Ulsan.
As one of the top tourist destinations in the country, Busan is a hub for tourism, entertainment, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industries. It boasts several key areas:
- Haeundae: Busan’s largest district by population, known for its beaches and vibrant atmosphere.
- Seomyeon: Busan’s largest shopping district.
- Nampodong: Busan’s old downtown, revitalized by the opening of Lotte Department Store Gwangbokjeon and the completion of Yeongdo Bridge, which brought back its former glory.
- Centum City: Located along the Suyeong River, it’s a modern business district with facilities like BEXCO (Busan Exhibition and Convention Center), Busan Cinema Center, Busan Museum of Art, and Shinsegae Department Store Centum City.
- Gwangalli: Known for its Gwangan Bridge, seafood restaurants, cafes, and various cultural and entertainment facilities.
- Nam-gu: Home to the UN Memorial Cemetery, Busan Museum, and Busan Cultural Center.
- Dongnae Oncheon: Famous for its hot springs.
- Haeundae Oncheon: Another hot spring area.
- Busan Gyeongnam Horse Racing Park: A popular racing venue.
- Gamcheon Culture Village: A colorful and artistic neighborhood.
- Other attractions include Yongdusan Park with Busan Tower, Nurimaru APEC House on Dongbaek Island, Busan Aquarium on Haeundae Beach, National Maritime Museum in Yeongdo, birthplaces of Park Chan-joong and Park Young-joon, and more.
- In 2014, Samjeong The Park, Busan’s only zoo, opened within Busan Children’s Grand Park. Busan Citizen’s Park and Song Sang-hyeon Square, the largest urban square in the country, opened in May and June of the same year, respectively.
- In late 2019, Haeundae Elcity The Shop, the second tallest building in South Korea, was completed.
Busan National Geopark is a national geopark located in Busan Metropolitan City, featuring geological landmarks such as Nakdong River Estuary, Molundae, Dosong Peninsula, Songdo Peninsula, Oryukdo, Taejongdae, and Igidae.
Among Busan’s beaches, there are:
- Haeundae Beach: Known as Korea’s best beach.
- Gwangalli Beach: Famous for its night view of Gwangan Bridge and hosts the annual Busan Fireworks Festival.
- Dadaepo Beach: Home to the Dreaming Dadaepo Sunset Fountain, one of the world’s best musical fountains with a diameter of 60m, a maximum water height of 55m, 1046 water spray nozzles, 511 lights, and 24 sub-fountains.
- Songjeong Beach: Close to Haeundae Beach but relatively quiet.
- Songdo Beach: The first public beach in Korea.
- Imrang Beach and Ilgwang Beach: Popular choices for visitors.
Some of Busan’s representative foods include:
- Milmyeon: A cold noodle dish served in a tangy and spicy broth.
- Dwaeji Gukbap: Pork soup with rice, usually served with kimchi and other side dishes.
- Ssiat Hotteok: Sweet pancakes filled with a mixture of seeds, nuts, and sugar.
- Eomuk: Fish cake, often served on skewers or in soups.
- Bibim Dangmyeon: Spicy mixed glass noodles with vegetables.
- Yubu Jeongol: Tofu stew with various vegetables and meat or seafood.
- Chapssal Hotteok: Sweet pancakes made with glutinous rice flour and filled with honey or brown sugar.
- Pajeon: Savory pancake made with green onions and sometimes seafood.
- Naengchae Jokbal: Chilled pig’s trotters served with a tangy mustard sauce.
- Gomjangeo Gui: Grilled freshwater eel, often marinated in a savory sauce.
- Hwe (Chojang): Assorted raw fish served with a spicy dipping sauce.
- Gupo Guksu: Thin noodles served in a light broth with various toppings.