Busan, formerly known as Pusan and now officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea‘s second most-populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.5 million inhabitants. It is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern Korea, with its port—Korea’s busiest and the 9th-busiest in the world—only about 120 miles (190 km) from the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Honshu. The surrounding “Southeast Economic Zone” (including Ulsan and South Gyeongsang) is now South Korea’s largest industrial area.
Busan is divided into 15 major administrative districts and a single county, together housing a population of approximately 3.6 million. The full metropolitan area, including the adjacent cities of Gimhae and Yangsan, has a population of approximately 4.6 million. The most densely built-up areas of the city are situated in a number of narrow valleys between the Nakdong and the Suyeong Rivers, with mountains separating most of the districts. The Nakdong is Korea’s longest river and Busan’s Haeundae Beach is also the country’s largest.
Busan is the 2nd 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 2017, the maritime city recorded a GRDP of USD 758.4 billion with a per capita GRDP of USD 22,000. 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 6th largest port in the world, the port of Busan processed 20.47 million TEU of container cargo volume in 2017. 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). Moreover, the city is a center of marine science and R&D, and home to a number of relevant institutions, such as the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), the Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST), the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service, the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency (KHOA), and the Korea National Maritime Museum, located in Dongsam Innovation Complex in Yeongdo-gu district. Moreover, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) World Congress is scheduled to be hosted in Busan in 2020. In addition, Busan is the city of festivals and film. A variety of festivals are held in the city throughout the year. Following the Joseon Tongsinsa Festival (Registration of Documents on Joseon Tongsinsa on the UNESCO Memory of the World in 2017) and Busan Port Festival in May, the Busan Sea Festival at Haeundae Beach, the largest beach in Korea, and the Busan International Rock Festival take place in August. In particular, October is the perfect month to enjoy a variety of festivals, such as the Busan International Film Festival, the largest film festival in Asia, the Busan Fireworks Festival, and the One Asia Festival, a global K-pop music festival. In addition, G-Star, the largest gaming exhibition in Korea, and e-Sports World Championship are hosted in November, followed by the Busan Christmas Tree Festival in December. (Busan Fireworks Festival)
