Discovering hidden gems in Busan, South Korea's second city

Busan is a city flying under the radar. While cinephiles will know of South Korea's most southern major city from the Busan International Film Festival or Zombie blockbuster Train to Busan, the full brunt of the Korean Wave is yet to be felt here – in 2023 Busan accounted for just 17 per cent of foreign tourist arrivals to the country.

It won't last forever, so now is the best time to discover the city before it finds Insta-fame and more tourists arrive.

Exiting the main train station after a two-hour journey from Seoul, I get my first glimpse of this humble city's tourism slogan: 'Busan is good'. While the tagline isn't the most glowing endorsement I've ever read, after a few days of exploring I realise it's an accurate representation of South Korea's second biggest city. This underrated Asian city is cool, but understated. It is slow paced but filled with plenty to do.

Winding coastal walks

Despite its beaches only being open for swimming in July and August, Busan is a popular seaside escape year-round. Visitors can enjoy drone shows at Gwangalli each Saturday night and catch the sunrise at Haeundae Beach.

For a less-crowded way to admire the city’s coastline, a cliffside walk is a good choice. One of the most scenic is the Igidae Coastal Trail, which winds 4.7km between Oryukdo Skywalk and Dongsaengmal. At the former, travellers can look down on the Oryukdo Islets from a 35-metre high walkway. My own visit is disrupted by wet weather but that isn't enough to dampen the glorious view and the enveloping fog even gives it something of a mystical quality.

For travellers who have already seen Busan pop up on their social media feeds, the city's Sky Capsules are likely to be familiar. This series of colourful pods on an elevated 2km trackway is worth visiting. Round-trip tickets aren’t available, so most visitors travel between Mipo Station and Cheongsapo before walking back through Haeundae Blueline Park. But it is worth continuing along the former Donghae Nambu Railway Line to brave the Cheongsapo Daritdol Observatory at the end of a 72.5m walkway. Another option is to go past Seongjeong Beach in search of Coralani Cafe or Cafe Yun for a pretty spot to sit and recharge while enjoying sensational views.

It takes a village

With its winding hilltop alleyways and colourful housing, Gamcheon Culture Village has been Busan's most popular destination since the area’s renovation began in 2009. The district's more well-known spots include the Haneul Maru Observatory and The Little Prince statue. Both are worth seeing, but there's also a number of off-the-beaten-track options to discover nearby.

Kangkangee Arts Village is one. South Korea’s first modern shipyard, the village's name comes from the sound of a hammer hitting the surface of a ship, and remnants of the industry are still visible today. The area is also an urban renewal project, but my group are the only tourists when we visit. Artworks have been added to the sock-shaped village, and ship and alley tours are available. The village museum also has exhibits documenting residential life in this part of the country.

Further into Yeongdo Island, Huinnyeoul Culture Village is a better-known alternative to Gamcheon. Dubbed the Santorini of Busan, the coastal village is located on sloping cliffs and is dotted with murals and painted in hues of blue and white to match its seaside location.

Thriving art scene

Centum City typically attracts travellers for one of three things: to shop at the world’s largest department store Shinsegae; to relax at the sprawling Spa Land; or to catch a screening during the Busan International Film Festival. But there’s more art to see away from the district's architecturally impressive Busan Cinema Centre.

At contemporary art space Museum 1, I feel as if I am stepping inside a digital work of art thanks to the 80 million LEDs beaming from the floor, ceiling and walls, while nearby Busan Museum of Art provides an interesting exploration of the works of minimalist sculptor Lee Ufan.

Smaller galleries worth visiting are dotted across the neighbourhood and worth exploring. It is a 30-minute walk to F1963, a former wire factory now filled with exhibition spaces, a used book store, cafe and bar. The outside space boasts a bamboo trail and pretty waterlily-filled gardens.

While my visit to Busan over a few days feels too short, it is at least enough to understand that the city's tourism chiefs have got it right. Busan really is good. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Busan is great.