1,400-year history, high-quality spring resources and strong accessibility cited
Dongnae-gu to develop healing and leisure tourism linked to Geumjeongsan National Park
The Ministry of Interior and Safety designated the Dongrae hot spring district in Dongnae-gu, Busan, as the country's fourth official "hot spring city," it announced Thursday.
The hot spring city designation is a system under which the interior minister recognizes areas that promote regional development and economic vitality through the hot spring industry, including hot spring tourism. Chungju, Asan and Changnyeong-gun received the designation in 2023.
The ministry said it conducted an on-site inspection and expert review based on a hot spring city development plan that Dongnae-gu submitted in August. Dongrae's high-quality spring resources and differentiated development strategy — centered on its potential to grow into an urban hot spring destination — received strong marks.
Dongrae Hot Spring has a healing history stretching back 1,400 years to the Three Kingdoms period. Its silica-rich water reaches 70.3 degrees Celsius, making it the second hottest spring in the country after Bugok Hot Spring in Changnyeong-gun, which reaches 78 degrees.
The district is served by subway lines 1, 3 and 4 as well as the Donghae Nambu Line, giving it broad metropolitan connectivity. With top-tier hot spring infrastructure and easy access from the city center, the area draws about 2 million visitors a year, making it one of the country's leading urban hot spring districts.
Dongnae-gu plans to use the designation as a springboard to move beyond its traditional bath-focused hot spring industry and reposition itself around healing and leisure tourism, drawing on nearby attractions such as Geumjeongsan National Park.
The district plans to build a "hot spring healing center" as a comprehensive wellness hub offering professional hydrotherapy services, and to develop a "hot spring complex experience facility" as an urban retreat where residents and visitors can easily enjoy the springs in their daily lives.
Dongnae-gu also intends to develop specialty products under the "Dongrae Oncheonjang" brand and hold a Dongrae hot spring festival to inject new energy into the local commercial district.
The district envisions combining its traditional spring resources with modern wellness content to create a virtuous cycle for the local economy and establish itself as a differentiated tourism hub.
Jin Myeong-gi, director general for autonomous innovation at the Ministry of Interior and Safety, said Dongrae Hot Spring is expected to emerge as a premier hot spring destination offering residents and tourists a higher level of rest in the heart of the city. "The government will continue to provide sustained attention and support so that the urban hot spring city model takes root successfully and becomes a solid foundation for revitalizing the local economy," he said.
thlee@heraldcorp.com
