Busan's Fascinating
Tourist Attractions
in Global Limelight
Raising profile in tourism just in time for APEC 2005 Korea

Busan, having been already recognized for diverse natural attractions and glaring international and regional events filled with a load of thrill and fantasy, will be showcased in the global limelight as it plays host at the APEC 2005 Korea this coming November.
Capitalizing on its hosting of the APEC Leaders' Meeting, the central government has designed 2005 as the "Visit Busan Year."Busan is exerting itself to promote its brand recognition as a matured, dynamic metropolis, blessed with green mountains, rivers, and the blue sea in perfect harmony.
Korea's second largest and southernmost port city is stepping up its publicity and marketing activities aimed at raising its global profile with the goal of attracting 2.1 million foreign tourists during this year.
In particular, Busan tourism authorities have focused on exploring and publicizing new tourist products tailored to meet the tastes of Japanese and Chinese tourists, which now make up a lion's share in the city's  foreign tourists.
To name a few publicity activities being conducted during the Visit Busan Year, take a look into tourist products concerning the PenStar, a cruise ship, and pleasure boats in Haeundae. The cruise tour is gaining popularity as tourists, primarily weekend visitors utilizing the high-speed railway KTX, have an opportunity to make a fascinating sightseeing tour of the scenic spots, including the Oryuk Islands, Taejongdae, Gwananni and Dongbaek Island. A 32 ton-cruise ship plying between Haeundae and Oryuk Islands will be upgraded into a 400-ton class one in October.
The Busan Metropolitan City Government, headed by Busan Mayor Hur Nam-sik, has been sprucing up tourist streets, ferry terminals and other facilities. For instance, the metropolitan government plans not only to develop Haeundae into an environmental-friendly tourist district, inclusive the creation of Dalmaji tourist and Haeundae coastal theme-oriented streets but also to repair or renovate tourism-related facilities such amenities of the Busan Port International Passenger Terminal and public toilets.
Efforts to promote cooperation in the tourism sector among cities in the Asia-Pacific area and establish tourism networks will gain a momentum during the Visit Busan Year. Tourism exchanges will be promoted among the members of the Korea-Japan strait tourism council comprising Busan, South Jeolla Province, South Gyeongsang Province, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, Saga and Yamaguchi and the East Coast tourism promotion council, formed by Busan, Ulsan and North Gyeongsang Province and Gangwon Province.
Culture and tourism events, marking the dispatch of Korean diplomats to Japan for 200 years in the 17th century during Joseon Dynasty and this year's 40th anniversary of normalization of diplomatic ties between Korea and Japan, will be held from May through November in Busan, Seoul, Milyang, Uiseong, Tokyo, Tsushima, Simonoseki and Ogaki. In Busan, such events as a procession of Joseon diplomatic delegates and a maritime ritual and an academic symposium will take place at Mt. Yongdu Park and other parts of the city on Sept. 6 through Sept. 10.
Busan and Fukuoka will jointly team up to hold a tourism promotion session in December as part of their joint efforts to explore tourism products and conduct publicity activities the two cities have made since the establishment of the Busan-Fukuoka Tourism Exchange Council on Oct. 2, 2000.
Busan's publicity hall will be opened in Osaka, and a friendly go game among children from Busan and Osaka will be held this year in accordance with an agreement on tourism exchanges between the Korean and Japanese cities, reached on Sept. 3, 2003.
As part of efforts to secure the inter-city tourism network in the Asia-Pacific region, Busan hosted the first TPO (Tourism Promotion Organization for Asian-Pacific Cities) General Assembly in September 2003. The TPO, established in August 2002 with Busan taking the initiative, has evolved into an international institution with a membership of 45 key cities from 12 countries, including Korea, Japan and China, as well as 13 private organizations in a short period of time.
Busan is setting its sights on highlighting its strengths as a Northeast Asian logistics center at the heart of the Pacific-rim region, a port city boasting pristine natural environment and diverse and plentiful international events when the heads of state, government representatives and businessmen from the 21 member countries of the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) will get together for the APEC 2005 Korea Nov. 12 through Nov. 10. The Nurimaru APEC House, being built as the venue of the Second Summit Meeting of the APEC 2005 Korea slated for this coming November in Busan, promises to be an addition to a myriad of tourist attractions that Busan will show off. The facility is located on the farthest point of the oval-type Dongbaek Island in Haeundae-gu, overlooking the Oryuk Islets, one of Busan's representative attractions. BEXCO, a virtual breeding ground for the regional convention industry, in Centem City in U-dong, Haeundae-gu, is undergoing refurbishment as a place where the APEC leaders will hold their first summit talks.
Busan has gained a global recognition as a world-class maritime, culture and tourism center as it has successfully hosted such international events as the 2002 FIFA World Cup final drawing and the 2002 Busan Asian Games and ITU Telecom Asia 2004.
The Busan Metropolitan Government held a session aimed at publicizing the port city's culture, tourism and investment environment to the APEC member countries in May this year and will hold another one in September. It will hold investor relation sessions designed to promote Busan's port facilities, Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone, tourist attractions, airline, maritime and other transportation networks to heads of state, CEOs from the APEC member countries.
Busan may be one of the nation's most dynamic metropolises as it shows off a world of scenic natural wonders and fascinating tourist attractions and diverse, world-class festivals. The city hosts numerous regional and international festivals, many of which highlight regional points of interest or blend in naturally with the four seasons, such as PIFF, the Busan Sea Festival, Busan International Rock Festival and the annual Busan Jagalchi Festival.
Each October Busan is transformed into a city of international events highlighting the newest and most exotic tourist attractions. One of the month's representative festivals is the Pusan International Film Festival, (PIFF), marking this year as the 10th anniversary of its inception in 1996. The PIFF has established itself as one of the world's most energetic film festivals and the largest one in Asia as the annual film festival provides an opportunity for promising Asian directors and producers to hold productive and effective meetings with producers and investors form the world for joint productions.
A variety of the 10th anniversary events, including the publication of a commemorative book and collection of photos, tracing the 10-year history, as well as video material, will be held before and after this year's Pusan International Film Festival that falls on Oct. 6-14. As part of its efforts to explore a new horizon and reward Busan citizens and cinema aficionados' support, Busan will invite globally renowned cinema people, hold an international film festival, and launch a film academy for Asia's promising cinematic students and hold special film festival for APEC 2005 Korea. The planned Busan Cinema Center in exclusive use for the annual film festival will break ground during this year's PIFF.
Tourists to Busan every October have a wonderful opportunity to visit the Jagalchi Market where they explore the tastes and sights of the sea. The 2005 Jagalchi Culture and Tourism Festival will run from Oct. 12 to Oct. 16 on the Jagalchi Market in Nampo-dong in central Busan.
The festival, designated as an important regional festival by the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism, has emerged as one of the nation's famous festivals catering to international tourists. The festival comprises four programs featuring events such as a fishing rite of praying for the safe return of fishermen with a full boat and a large-scale road play event called Gilnori, and a raw fish-cooking contest. The Boiso (See) Program is designed to give visitors an opportunity to witness first-hand Korea's ajumma (middle-aged women) participating in a raw fish slicing and cooking spectacle, called the Jagalchi Ajimae (Aunty) Contest. Highlights of the Oiso (Come) Program include the Standard Quantity Contest of Sliced Raw Fish, the Bare-Handed Sea Eel Catching Contest, the Sea Eel Relay Race and the Foreigners' Cooking Contest. Seafood products will be available at the Seafood Surprise Auction at a discount rate under the Saiso (Enjoy) Program.
The Busan Sea Festival, celebrating the 10th anniversary this year, will kick off on August 1 for a nine-day run in the port city's major beaches, including Haeundae.
It will present a song festival commemorating the late renowned singer Hyunin, a Busan native, a beach volley festival and the Busan International Dancing Fest. A commemorative performance and fireworks show will be held during the opening session, to be held from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 1.
An acclaimed summer fixture on Dadaepo Beach is the Busan International Rock Festival entertaining throngs of vacationers each summer. The festival will be held from Aug. 4 through Aug. 7 with 22 bands from seven countries participating. Such events as a ceremony for unveiling signature printings, showing rock films and a rock photo exhibition will take place as side events of the festival.
Take a look into Korean culture-immersion programs and major tourist products the port metropolis offers to tourist, international and domestic.Tourists can sample or learn Korean traditional culture such as tear ceremony, traditional bows and how to wear hanbok or traditional Korean costume when they visit the Tea Ceremony Museum in Pusan Women's College. Two-hour courses open between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. from every Monday through every Fridays.
Classes on such traditional Korean musical instruments as gongs and drums are available from the Folklore Museum, while visitors can learn such traditional Korean plays as Dongnae Jisin Bapgi, a festival of religious instrumental music of the peasants held in Dongnae in the past, from Mt. Yongdu Park between March through November except July and August.
To name major tourist attractions, there are the Haeundae Beach, one of the Eight Wonders and the largest beach in Korea; Gwanganni Beach; the Gwangan Grand Bridge, a breath-taking 7.42 km double-deck, Korea's longest suspension bridge; Taejongdae; Jagalchi Market; Mt. Yongdu Park; UN Cemetery; Mt. Geumjeong Fortress; Beomeo Temple; and Busan Museum.
The Busan Metropolitan Government is pushing ahead with projects designed to explore tourism resources of the port city under mid- and long-term perspectives.
Among the planned mid- and long-term projects are the one on creating a four-season comprehensive tourism theme park on Mt. Dongbu, part of the Haeundae Special Tourism Zone Development Project; the one on creating a maritime tourism-recreation resort inclusive swimming pools, offshore hotels and tourism farming center on Gadeok Island; the one on the development of Songdo Beach Tourism Complex; the one on the development of a cable car course or tourist train railway along the scenic coastline, and the one on the development of the Nakdong River estuary and Dadaepo area in which visitors can observe migratory birds. nw

Haeundae Beach, the largest in Korea, is one of the Eight Wonders of the nation.

The Nurimaru APEC House is being built as the venue of the Second Summit Meeting of the APEC 2005 Korea slated for this coming November in Busan.

The PanStar Ferry takes visitors to Busan, including weekend KTX passengers, to breath-taking tourist spots in Busan. At the background is seen the scenic Gwangan Grand Bridge.

Beomeo Temple, built in the Silla Dynasty, is famous for its scenic and calm settings.

The Pusan International Film Festival, (PIFF), marking this year as the 10th anniversary of its inception, has established itself as one of the world? most energetic film festivals. This year? film festival is slated for Oct. 6-14.