Everything about Busan totally explained
Busan Metropolitan City, also known as
Pusan is the largest
port city in the
Republic of Korea. With a population of about 3.65 million, Busan is also South Korea's second largest metropolis, after
Seoul. The most densely built up areas of the city are situated in a number of narrow valleys between the
Nakdong River and Suyeong River, with mountains separating some of the various districts.
Busan was the host city of the
2002 Asian Games and
APEC 2005 Korea. It was also one of the host cities for the
2002 FIFA World Cup, and is the center for international conventions in Korea. Administratively, it's designated as a
Metropolitan City. On
November 14,
2005, the city officially announced its bid to host the
2020 Summer Olympics Games.
History
Geochilsan-guk existed in the second and third centuries as a chiefdom of
Jinhan. It was absorbed by
Silla and renamed Geochilsan-gun. The word Geochilsan means rough mountain, probably referring to
Hwangnyeongsan, located at the center of the city.
The
grave goods excavated from mounded burials at
Bokcheon-dong indicate that a complex
chiefdom ruled by powerful individuals was present in the Busan area just as the
Three Kingdoms of Korea were forming, c. A.D. 300-400. The mounded burials of
Bokcheon-dong were built along the top of a ridge that overlooks a wide area that makes up parts of modern-day
Dongnae-gu and
Yeonje-gu. Archaeologists excavated more than 250 iron weapons and
ingots from Burial No. 38, a wooden chamber tomb at
Bokcheon-dong.
In 757, Geochilsan-gun was again renamed Dongnae, which it's still called.
From the beginning of the fifteenth century, the Korean government designated Busan as a trading port with the
Japanese and allowed their settlement. Other Japanese settlements in
Ulsan and
Jinhae diminished later, but the Busan settlement, called
Waegwan at the time, continued until
Japan invaded Korea in 1592. After the war, diplomatic relations with the new
shogunate in Japan were established in 1607, and Busan Waegwan 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.
During the
Japanese occupation, Busan(Japanese name:Fuzan) developed into a hub trading port with Japan. Busan was the only city in Korea to adopt the steam
tramway before
electrification was introduced in 1924. Busan, along with
Jeju City, is the only city in Korea, with the exemption of
Daegu, that was never taken by the North Korean Communists during the
Korean War. As a result the city was a refugee camp site for Koreans during the war.
Busan was one of the few areas in Korea that remained under the control of South Korea throughout the
Korean War and for some time it served as a temporary capital of Republic of Korea. UN troops established a defensive perimeter around the city known as the
Pusan Perimeter in the summer and autumn of 1950. Since then, like
Seoul, the city has been a self-governing metropolis and has built a strong urban character.
Administrative divisions
In 1957 Busan adopted a
division system with the creation of 6
gu: Busanjin-gu, Dong-gu, Dongnae-gu, Jung-gu, Seo-gu, and Yeongdo-gu.
Today, Busan is divided into 15
gu (districts) and 1
gun (county).
Economy
Transportation and shipping are among the most high profile aspects of the local economy. Since 1978, Busan has opened three container ports including Jaseungdae, Shinsundae and Gamman. Busan is renowned as one of the world's largest ports and can handle up to 6.44 million
TEU shipping containers per year.
The Busan-Jinhae
Free Economic Zone Authority, one of two such administrations (the other in the harbor of
Incheon), was created to continue the tradition of Busan's status as an international trading centre. The port attracts ships from all over the globe and aspires to become a regional financial centre. Currently, Busan is ranked internationally as the third largest
seaport in terms of cargo volume and efficiency by the
American Association of Port Authorities.
Shopping and Commerce
Commercial areas are dispersed throughout the city near busy intersections and adjacent to university campuses, but the two largest central business districts in Busan are Seomyeon and Gwangbok-dong/Nampo-dong. There are also four substantial shopping areas of note:
Seomyeon,
Gwangbok-dong, Busan Dae Hakap in Jangjeon-dong, and
Haeundae.
Seomyeon is the crossroads of Busan. The local subway station serves two lines and is one of the busiest in the city. The local head offices of Korean and international banks are located in Seomyeon. It is recognized as the ascendant shopping and entertainment districts with many cafes, bars, restaurants, department stores, shops, and offices. Directly adjacent to Seomyeon is Bujeon Market, the largest traditional market in the city.
The
Gwangbok-dong,
Nampo-dong, and Jungang-dong areas form the old central business district with many offices, cafes, bars, shops and restaurants. Some of the restaurants in this district are locally famous with family recipes passed down the generations.
Jagalchi Market (near part of the very active port) is an area of narrow street stalls and is well known for its fish market. The Gukje Market is also located nearby. Jungang-dong is the home of many international law offices, the old Immigation Office, and the international ferry terminal serving Japanese routes. Lotte World II is currently under construction along the water between Jungang-dong 7-Ga and 8-Ga. When completed, Lotte World II will house a hotel, department store, entertainment complex, and a skyscraper that will be one of the tallest buildings in the world.
Education
Universities with graduate schools
Pusan National University (PNU)
Busan National University of Education
Dong-A University
Pukyong National University (PKNU)
Korea Maritime University
Kyungsung University
Dong-eui University
Pusan University of Foreign Studies (PUFS)
Dongseo University
Dongmyung University
Catholic University of Pusan
Busan Jangsin University
Youngsan University
Other institutes of higher education
Busan Arts College
Busan College of Information Technology
Busan Kyungsang College
Busan Polytechnic College
Dong-Pusan College
Dongju College
Daedong College
Culture
Parks, Beaches, and Resorts
Geumjeongsan to the west is a popular weekend hiking spot for Busan residents. To the north, the neighborhoods around Pusan National University (also known as PNU, which is one of the most highly recognized national institutes of high education in Korea) have student theaters, cafes, bars and restaurants, as well as open-air cultural street performances on weekend nights. Nearby is Beomeosa, the city's main Korean Buddhist temple.
Dongnae area is a traditional as well as wealthy residential area. Dongnae Oncheon is a natural spa area with many baths, tourist hotels, restaurants, clubs and shopping areas. Many restaurants in the area are famous for their family recipes. Chungnyeolsa is a Confucian shrine for soldiers who died during the sixteenth century battle against the Japanese at Dongnae Fortress.
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 is famous for its cafes, bars, and restaurants along the beach. The area around Pukyong National University and Kyungsung University has many cafes, bars and restaurants attracting college students and youth.
Taejongdae, is a natural park with magnificent cliffs facing the open sea on the island of Yeongdo.
The area known as the "Foreigners' Shopping Street", but commonly referred to as "Texas Street" near part of the Port of Busan, has many businesses that cater to the local Russian population, as well as the crews of foreign ships. The area was originally the location of the local Chinatown and still contains a Chinese school. Because of the Chinese presence, the area was designated as to serve the commercial and entertainment needs of American soldiers and businesses were set up there during the 1940s and 1950s to cater to them.
Temples, Shrines and other Historical sites
Chungnyeolsa Shrine
Beomeosa Temple
Samgwangsa Temple
Haedongyonggungsa Temple
Geumjeongsanseong
Fortress site of Jwasuyeong
Yungongdan
Jeongongdan
Songgongdan
Dongsam-dong Shell Mound
Busanjinjiseong (Jaseongdae)
Dongnae eupseong site
Dongnaebu Dongheon
Dongnae Hyanggyo
Gijang Hyanggyo
United Nations Memorial Cemetery
Professional sports
Since 1982, the city has been home to the Lotte Giants, who play in the Korean baseball league. In Korea, Busan is known as the capital of baseball and has a reputation for very enthusiastic baseball fans. For the first few years, Lotte Giants utilized Goo-Duck baseball field as their home. But, in mid-80s, they moved to Sa-Jick baseball field, which was built as part of a huge sports complex for 1986 Asian Game.
The city is also home to K-League soccer side Busan I'park, formerly known as the Daewoo Royals, which was the strongest team during the 1990s in K-league. It is also home to National League soccer club Busan Transportation Corporation.
Arts
Busan is also famous for the Pusan International Film Festival, or PIFF, a large and well-known international film festival in Asia that attracts film-loving tourists from all over East Asia and the world.
Museums
Busan Museum (External Link)
Bokcheon Museum (External Link)
Busan Modern History Museum (External Link)
Dongsam-dong Shell Midden Museum (External Link)
Temporary Capital Commemoration Hall (External Link)
Busan Museum of Modern Art (External Link)
Pusan National University Museum (External Link)
Dong-A University Museum (External Link)
Kyungsung University Museum (External Link)
Dong-eui University Museum
Transportation
Bus
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 Seobu Bus Terminal at Sasang Station on Subway Line 2.
Sea
The Coastal Ferry Terminal serves ferry services to many locations on Geoje Island as well as to Jeju City in Jeju-do.
Ferries leaving from the International Ferry Terminal on Busan Harbor Pier 1 connect Busan to the Japanese ports of Izuhara and Hitakatsu on Tsushima Island, as well as the cities of Shimonoseki, Fukuoka, and Osaka on Japan's mainland.
PanStar operates the PanStar Ferry between Busan and Osaka.
The Seaflower 2, the ferry to Tsushima operated by Dae-a Express Shipping, carries passengers only between Busan and Hitakatsu in 1 hour 40 minutes and between Busan and Izuhara in 2 hours 40 minutes.
The Seonghee, operated by Pukwan Ferry, links Busan to Shimonoseki.
One of the ferries to Fukuoka is the Camellia, operated by Camellia Line. The Camellia make the trip to Fukuoka over-night in 7 hours 30 minutes, and trip back in the afternoon in 5 hours 30 minutes.
The other ferry service to Fukuoka is assumed by the Beetles and the Kobees, 2 fleets of high-speed hydrofoils operated by Mirajet. About 5 departures from each cities are scheduled every day. By hydrofoil it only takes 2 hours 55 minutes to cross the Korea Strait to Fukuoka. The Beetles are owned by JR Kyushu.
Railway
Busan lies on a number of rail lines, of which the most important is the Gyeongbu Line which connects it to other major cities such as Seoul, Daejeon, and Daegu. All classes of trains run along the Gyeongbu Line, including the KTX trains which provide service to Seoul in approximately 150 minutes. The Gyeongbu Line terminates at Busan Station. Other lines include the Donghae Nambu Line.
Subway
The Busan Subway network contains three lines: Line number 1, Line number 2, and Line number 3. The network is operated by the Busan Transportation Corporation.
The Busan-Gimhae Light Rail Transit line is under construction for completion in 2010.
Air
Busan is served by Gimhae International Airport to the west in Gangseo-gu.
Sister cities
Busan shares the title of sister city with several coastal cities or provinces across the world.
- Kaohsiung, Taiwan (1966)
- Los Angeles, USA (1967)
- Shimonoseki, Japan (1976)
- Barcelona, Spain (1983)
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1985)
- Fukuoka, Japan (1989)
- Vladivostok, Russia (1992)
- Shanghai, People's Republic of China (1993)
- Surabaya, Indonesia (1994)
- Victoria, Australian state (1994)
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (1995)
- Tijuana, Mexico (1995)
- Auckland, New Zealand (1996)
- Valparaiso, Chile (1999)
- Montreal, Canada (2000)
- Western Cape, South African province (2000)
- Istanbul, Turkey (2002)
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates (2006)
- Chicago, USA (2007)
- Manila, Philippines (2008)
The Port of Busan also has 6 sister ports.
- Port of Southampton, United Kingdom (1978)
- Port of Seattle, USA (1981)
- Port of Osaka, Japan (1985) (External Link)
- Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands (1985)
- Port of New York & New Jersey, USA (1988)
- Port of Shanghai, China (1994)Further Information
Get more info on 'Busan'.
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