US network spotlights port city's beaches, redevelopment in online feature; Expedia names Busan a top travel destination for 2027

Gwangandaegyo Bridge and the Busan city skyline [Korea Tourism Organization]
Gwangandaegyo Bridge and the Busan city skyline [Korea Tourism Organization]

CNN has spotlighted Busan as a coastal tourism destination with a distinct character of its own, separate from Seoul. The American network said the city's beaches and laid-back atmosphere, combined with the ongoing redevelopment of its North Port area and an expanding cultural infrastructure, are helping Busan emerge as a standalone travel destination rather than merely a side trip from the capital.

CNN published the feature Thursday (local time) under the headline "How one of the world's biggest ports became Asia's next great sea city," describing Busan as "the Los Angeles to Seoul's New York."

Rebecca Barry, Korea product manager at global travel company Inside Travel Group, said Busan offers "something completely different" from Seoul. "This coastal city has beaches, a slower pace of life and more vibrant people," she said.

Urban development is in full swing. The long-neglected North Port has been undergoing a major redevelopment project and is now connected to Busan Station by an elevated walkway. The Busan Opera House, set to become a new landmark, is scheduled to open at the North Port site next year.

Milly Jan, Asia regional director at Snøhetta, the architecture firm behind the opera house, said Busan is transforming from a port city into a design-led city. "The opera house will be a catalyst for development in the area," she said.

The Busan Lotte Tower is rising on the former site of Busan City Hall, while the city is also working to make the nearby Jagalchi Market — a well-known tourist attraction — more accessible and welcoming to international visitors.

Getting to Busan has also become easier. The KTX high-speed rail line connects it to Seoul in under three hours, and Gimhae International Airport surpassed 10 million international passengers last year for the first time, CNN noted.

Travel platform Expedia also named Busan one of its top destinations for 2027, citing a 50 percent year-on-year increase in searches for the city.

"One thing seems clear," CNN concluded. "Travelers are paying attention to Busan."


jeongwan@heraldcorp.com