Why visit Busan in South Korea? The freshest seafood, scenery and beaches – city has it all, says tourism insider

Busan in South Korea, 3 hours from Seoul by bullet train, has much to beguile travellers, not least its cheap, fresh seafood meals, says a city tourism insider

A melting pot that drew people from across the country in the Korean war and post-war industrialisation, Busan is the best place to grasp South Korean culture

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A night view of Gwangalli beach, the new centre of tourism in Busan, South Korea, with weekly drone light shows one of the draws. The city in the country’s southeast is known for the freshness of its seafood, and is seeing a rise in visitors. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 4:15pm, 27 Jul 2023

By Lee Hae-rin

Home to maritime delicacies and a rising star in speciality coffee, the southeastern coastal city of Busan is one of South Korea’s five regional tourism hubs designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for 2020 to 2025.

The city is three hours from Seoul by bullet train and has many charms to entice foreign travellers and their taste buds, according to Lee Do-yeon, a Busan-based travel guide with 10 years of experience.

“Busan is the best city to understand the quintessence of Korean sentiment … why we Koreans are so quick-tempered, saying ppali-ppali [“hurry up”] all the time and why we eat what we eat and love it so much – you can understand that by understanding Busan and its wartime history,” Lee says.

A seafood stall at Jagalchi fish market in Busan, South Korea. Photo: Shutterstock

Busan remained the only city that North Korea never captured throughout the 1950-53 Korean war. It became a haven for war refugees from across the country while serving as the provisional capital.