Busan, South Korea

City in South Korea

About Busan

Busan, officially Busan Metropolitan City, is the second most populous city in South Korea, after Seoul; it has a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Alternatively romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, with its port being South Korea's busiest and the sixth-busiest in the world. The surrounding "Southeastern Maritime Industrial Region" is South Korea's largest industrial area. The large volumes of port traffic and urban population in excess of 1 million makes Busan a Large-Port metropolis using the Southampton System of Port-City classification. As of 2025, Busan Port is the primary port in Korea and the world's sixth-largest container port.

Names

The name "Busan" is the Revised Romanization of the city's name. The name 부산 has been recorded since the late 15th century. "Busan" officially replaced the earlier McCune–Reischauer romanization Pusan in 2000. During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese reading of the city's name was "Fuzan" which may have remained in the maps that Americans used during the Korean war. The name 釜山 (now written 부산 using the Korean alphabet) is Sino-Korean for "Cauldron Mountain", believed to be a former name of Mt Hwangnyeong (Korean: 황령산; Hanja: 荒嶺山; RR: Hwangnyeongsan) west of the city center. The area's ancient state Mt Geochil (거칠산국; 居柒山國; Geochilsan-guk, "Rough-Mountain Land") is similarly thought to refer to the same mountain, which towers over the town's harbor on the Suyeong (the later Silla district of Geochilsan-gun was renamed Dongnae in 757).

History

The area that Busan now occupies was inhabited during the Neolithic period. Artifacts dating to this period discovered near the coast include stone tools, pottery, sea shells, and animal bones. Fishing was a primary food source for people of this period. Bronze Age artifacts have been uncovered further inland. By this period, agriculture was being practiced. Around the first century, a chiefdom called Koch'ilsan-guk (거칠산국; 居漆山國) existed around what is now Dongnae District. At some point, it was absorbed by Silla and made an administrative division called Koch'ilsan-gun (거칠산군; 居漆山郡). In 757, it was renamed Dongnae-gun (동래군). In 835, the Buddhist temple Beomeosa was founded in the area. In the Goryeo period (918–1392), the local Dongnae Jeong clan became a prominent presence in Korean politics. …

Geography

Busan is located on the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula. It is located on the coast, which determined the development of the whole city itself. The distance from Busan to Seoul is about 314 km (195 mi). Busan borders low mountains to the north and west, and the Korea Strait to the south and east. The Nakdong River Delta is located on the west side of the city, and Geumjeongsan, the highest mountain in the city, is on the north. The Nakdong River, South Korea's longest river, flows through the west and empties into the Korea Strait. The southeastern region, called Yeongnam in Korea, encompasses both Gyeongsang Provinces and 3 metropolitan cities of Busan, Daegu and Ulsan. Ulsan lies northeast of Busan. The combined population exceeds 13 million. The closest overseas area to Busan is Tsushima, Japan, with a distance of about 49.5 km (30.8 mi). …

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Culture and attractions

Busan not only features a variety of antique and souvenir shops, but also unique restaurants, attractions and accommodations. Busan is called the summer capital of Korea since it attracts tourists from all over the country to its six beaches. Luxury hotels and a carnival boardwalk line the beach at Haeundae. Gwangalli Beach has cafés, bars, and restaurants along the beach, and the Grand Gwangan Bridge. Other beaches include Dadaepo Beach on the west edge of the city and Songdo Beach, south of central Busan. Haeundae Beach is Busan's most famous beach. It is a staple setting for South Korean films and TV shows, such as the 2009 film Tidal Wave. Dongbaekseom is located at the southern end of Haeundae Beach. This island is picturesque with a thick forest of camellias and pine trees. …

Economy

Busan is the second largest city in Korea, a maritime logistics hub in Northeast Asia with its world-class mega ports, and a gateway to the Eurasian continent. In 2022, the maritime city recorded a GRDP of KRW 104 trillion with a per capita GRDP of KRW 39.6 million. The city's economy is made up of the service industry (70.3%), manufacturing (19.8%), construction (5.9%), agriculture & fisheries (0.8%), and other sectors (3.2%). As the sixth largest port in the world, the port of Busan processed 21.81 million TEU of container cargo volume in 2020. The port's container terminal has 43 berths - 20 berths at the North Port, and 23 berths at the Busan New Port (including 2 multi-purpose berths). …

Transportation

Major express bus lines link Busan with other cities in Korea at two primary bus terminals, Nopodong Bus Terminal (at the northern terminus of Subway Line 1) and Busan Seobu Bus Terminal at Sasang Station on Subway Line 2. 134 routes of urban bus service reach every part of Busan. City buses operate a total of 160 routes. There are express buses connecting major areas quickly through tunnels and overpasses and general city buses which make stops at each bus stop. There are also airport buses connecting the Gimhae International Airport and the downtown area. Some of the city buses of Busan's adjacent cities including Yangsan, Changwon, Gimhae, and Ulsan also offer service to Busan. Gimhae Airport Limousine Bus is one of the fastest buses connecting Gimhae International Airport and the downtown area. As of 2012, three routes are operated by Taeyoung Airport Limousine Corp. …

Busan

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