Life
Our writer on the street asks: "What brings you to Busan?"
Busan has been welcoming a growing number of international tourists. For this edition, we spoke with visitors from around the world to discover what they find most charming about the city.
●Three sisters from Germany: Emily (right), Jessi (middle), and Franzi (left)
After a few days in Seoul, sisters Emily, Jessi and Franzi took the train south to explore Busan. "We wanted to see what South Korea was like and also the seaside," Emily said. Jessi added that social media recommendations led them here, while Franzi hoped to enjoy the sunshine.
Their first impressions were unanimous: Busan's mix of mountains, beaches and city life made it stand out. "It's not as big as Seoul, but still it's quite a big city, so you can still do loads of activities," Jessi said. Franzi praised the city's convenience, noting how easy it is to reach both mountains and the sea within half an hour.
Food was a highlight for Emily, who recalled a "Cheese Dakgalbi" dish she loved. But beyond food and scenery, the sisters agreed that the kindness and generosity of Busan people made the most significant impact. "Even if they cannot speak English, they will try to help you with their feet, with their hands, with everything," Franzi said.
●A couple from Spain: Ana (right) and Juanma (left)
The couple, both teachers, came to Korea out of curiosity. "We wanted to know about the culture, to visit the country and try the food, and it was better than we expected," Ana said.
Juanma added, "We have been traveling around Korea and we didn't expect a lot from Busan, but we are amazed by everything in the city." They explained that they had looked up blogs and YouTube videos before arriving, but left room for surprise once in Busan.
When asked about highlights, Ana replied, "We just came from the fish market and it was very surprising - the atmosphere, everything - and also the temple which is next to the sea." For Juanma, Busan felt instantly familiar: "I live very near the sea, so for me, this city feels like home. It's the city that I like the most in Korea."
To sum up their impressions, Ana chose the word "exciting," while Juanma answered "beautiful."
●Croatian father and daughter from Germany: Branko (right) and Lorna (left)
Branko explained their visit simply: "Tourism! We wanted to see your country." Lorna added, "I used to be a huge K-pop fan, so I wanted to see Korea."
Their first impressions of Busan were positive. "It's sunny, it's warm and public traffic is good," said Branko.
The family also enjoyed the scenery of Haeundae Beach at night.
"The view was perfect and at night time it was like a mixture of nature, the beach and the skyline," Lorna said.
They arrived by train from Seoul and planned to stay three days. The heat wave seemed to influence their experience. When asked to summarize Busan in one word, Branko said, "It's very warm." Lorna echoed, "It's very hot. But it's very beautiful too."