Busan is good

Make Your Youth More Exciting in Busan! Launch of the Nation’s First “Busan Onna Youth Pass”

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced the full-scale launch of Korea’s first-ever “Busan Youth Lifestyle Population Revitalization Project” to boost urban vitality by encouraging inter-regional youth mobility and stay, thereby addressing the threat of regional decline.

The “Busan Youth Lifestyle Population Revitalization Project” goes beyond existing policies focused solely on resident population and introduces the new concept of a “youth lifestyle population”—young people who, though not permanent residents, stay in the city for a certain period and contribute to its economy and vitality.

To overcome structural challenges related to the declining youth population and to build a vibrant city where young people want to stay, the project aims to actively encourage youth from other regions to visit and stay in Busan.

The flagship initiative of this project, the “Busan Onna Youth Pass,” is a certification-based pass offering discount benefits at 17 tourist attractions and local businesses in Busan for young people from other regions who plan to stay in the city for at least one night. This is the city’s first attempt to attract youth lifestyle population through such a program.

The name combines “Busan Onna”—a phrase in the local dialect meaning “Come to Busan”—and “Youth Pass,” referring to a youth ID.

To overcome the limitations of residence-based policies centered around resident registration, the city is introducing a new policy paradigm focused on “lifestyle population.”

The city aims to become a dynamic and fun place wherever young people go, beginning with policies that emphasize this new lifestyle population concept.

By encouraging more youth to travel, experience, and participate in events in Busan, the goal is to increase the number of youth who stay in the city temporarily and ultimately guide them toward settling. The city plans to convert these youth visits into a driver of urban vitality.

Young visitors to Busan from other regions can use the “Busan Onna Youth Pass” to access popular attractions and local businesses with real discount benefits. The discounts will be available starting August 19 until the allocated budget is exhausted.

Discounts of up to 60%, or up to KRW 28,800, will be offered at major attractions such as KidZania, The Bay 101 Yacht, Club The Oasis, and the Busan Aquarium. Additionally, flat-rate discounts of up to KRW 2,000 will be available at local cafés, bakeries, and restaurants.

A single pass user could save up to KRW 136,450 if they use all 17 partner establishments.

Moreover, cafés and bakeries located in Youngdo-gu, the original downtown, and central Busan’s key youth districts are actively participating, which is expected to stimulate the local economy. The city will also work to recruit more participating businesses to expand available benefits.

Young people from other regions who wish to use the “Busan Onna Youth Pass” can apply through the “Youth G-Zone” Busan Youth Platform (young.busan.go.kr) starting August 1 by submitting proof of accommodation showing the name and dates of their lodging.

Once issued, youth pass holders can scan a QR code at participating venues and receive the discount by entering the partner company’s approval code on-site.

To promote the project and encourage youth participation, the city will also host a variety of online and offline events.

To celebrate the official launch of the “Busan Onna Youth Pass,” a “BIG EVENT” will be held from August 1 to August 18. Additionally, a “Certification Event” will take place from August 19 to October 31 for youth who complete both the application and use of the pass.

Participants will be eligible to win prizes such as partner company products and coffee coupons through a raffle. Detailed schedules and participation methods will be announced via the Youth G-Zone Busan Youth Platform and the official Instagram account (@busanyouth.official).

Youth pass users may also participate in on-site events during the city's Youth Week or when visiting youth spaces, which is expected to foster empathy and engagement with Busan’s youth policies.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “This is an attempt to shift the youth policy paradigm from residency to lifestyle population, allowing youth who experience the city to feel that Busan is a place they’d love to return to.” He added, “We will continue to actively promote diverse, customized policies that youth truly need so that Busan becomes a city where they want to stay, enjoy, and settle.”