Busan: Sea, Sun and Fun

January 20, 2011                                       

I went to Busan last week for the 5th Global Academy, a gathering of select University students to discuss the 8 United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which include extreme poverty eradication, among others. Sounds very intellectual? lol. Anyhow, my recent trip to Busan was really extraordinary. It was my, some sort of, reunion with the city where I spent 1 year as an exchange student from September 2008 to August 2009.

Living in Seoul for 5 months now, I can clearly distinguish the difference between the people from Korea’s capital and those from its 2nd largest city. I should say I prefer those from the latter, generally. Busan people are friendlier and they usually exude a certain degree of happy spirit, optimism and sincerity. They’re not like people in Seoul who are always in a hurry and are not as friendly. That is of course a rough general observation. I do have good friends in Seoul, too but meeting new friends from Busan made me feel like it was 2008 again! I just missed Busan culture that when I started mingling with them, the feeling was extraordinary.

The extra friendly birds in Haeundae Beach. Feeding them was fun!

Busan, with 4 million people and being the busiest port in Korea, is a special metropolitan city. Busan is the only place in the Korean peninsula that was never reached by the communist North Koreans during the Korean War of the 50’s. My favorite district in this city is Haeundae.

Busan Main Train Station

Haeundae is home to what else but the Haeundae Beach, one of Korea’s most famous summer attractions. Winter, Fall and Spring though can make this beach romantic, especially when walking along the shores before sunset. Because Haeundae is the most affluent district in Busan, the beach is lined up with nicely designed apartment buildings, condos, luxury hotels and other commercial establishments. From July to late August, the beach is overcrowded with people and colorful sunshades. The sand becomes almost entirely invisible from afar.

High end apartments in Haeundae Gu

During my trip there last week, we visited Nurimaru (World Peak), the convention hall developed exclusively for the 17th APEC Summit in 2005. It is now a museum. Near the beach is the world’s largest department store, the Shinsegae Centum City, along with other ambitious projects such as the 110-floor, 510m-tall Lotte Super Tower, which will become the world's third tallest building in 2013, after Burj Khalifa in Dubai and Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan.

Nampu-dong, for cultural activities and bargain shopping and Seomyeon for night life are my 2 other favorite districts in Busan. For tourism info about Busan, check their site. Click here.

Click the photos to enlarge.

 They're waiting for people to feed them with chips. 

 Some of the most expensive apartments near the beach and the yacht wharf.

 Friendly birds!

 Nuri Maru, the venue of the 2005 APEC Summit. 

 Inside Nurimaru where APEC leaders held their meetings in 2005.

 APEC Leaders' Lounge overlooking the Sea of Japan.

 Some of the 5th Global Academy Participants

 Feeding the birds for Photo op.

 My reunion with 하상윤 (Ha Sang Yun), my dormmate in Busan in 2009.

KTX back to Seoul. 

 KTX High Speed Train.

 My new friends. 

 Delicious! Mashisoyo (맛있어요) in Korean. ㅋㅋㅋ

 Outside the Conference venue. 

 Busan Youth Hostel ARPINA, where I stayed for most of my time in Busan. 

 Think Globally. Act Locally is the theme of this year's Global Academy. 

 Me, 장병한 (Pyeong Han Jang) and 이승효 (Sunghyeong Lee).

 Delicious!

 With my new friends.

 의수,재현, 제프리 and 승효

 Other participants.

 Pyeonghan, Me and Je Hyeon

 The high schoolish thing that we did called Rolling paper. 

 Group 3

 In Haeundae.

 In Haeundae. 

In this photo, I didn't understand the instruction of the photographer. So I was still looking at the cam when I was supposed to look somewhere else.

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