Busan is good

From a Single Meal to Overnight Stays – Busan Ensures Perfect Hygiene and Safety During the National Sports Festival and National Para Games and the APEC Summit

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it successfully achieved zero food and lodging safety incidents through comprehensive hygiene management during major national and international events such as the 106th National Sports Festival and the 2025 APEC Summit.

To ensure thorough hygiene and safety, the city established a three-phase system—pre-inspection, on-site response, and post-management—to manage food and lodging services before, during, and after both events.
Building upon experience gained from hosting large-scale international events such as the World Table Tennis Championships, the International Union of Geological Sciences General Assembly, and the Our Ocean Conference (OOC), the city achieved significant management success.

From October 17 to November 5, during the 106th National Sports Festival and the 45th National Para Games held in Busan, the city conducted both advance inspections and on-site hygiene checks for a total of 82 stadiums, 2,062 lodging facilities, and 1,950 restaurants nearby.
No reports of food poisoning or lodging-related complaints from athletes or spectators were received during the event.

The city’s Health and Hygiene Division operated a comprehensive hygiene situation room throughout the festival to inspect food service and lodging facilities around the stadiums and respond immediately to any complaints.

In addition, lodging facilities were inspected for cleanliness, proper disinfection and laundering of bedding, and compliance with hygiene product replacement cycles. Hygiene and hospitality training was also provided to business operators, contributing to the realization of a “Safe and Impressive Sports Festival” where athletes and visitors could feel at ease.

In cooperation with the Busan Regional Office of Food and Drug Safety, the city established a joint on-site investigation system to respond to potential food poisoning cases involving two or more people. The hygiene situation room remained operational until November 9, considering the incubation period of foodborne illnesses.
As a result, no food poisoning cases were reported during or after the festival.

From October 26 to November 1, during the 2025 APEC Summit and related preliminary events held in Gyeongju, Busan Metropolitan City supported the food and beverage safety management operations in response to a request from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, in cooperation with the Busan Regional Office of Food and Drug Safety and Busanjin District Office.
The joint inspections focused on summit accommodations (hotels in Busan) and food supply facilities.

Prior to the summit, joint hygiene inspections were conducted by the city, the regional office, and district offices at relevant facilities in Busan, checking cleanliness of cooking facilities, food storage and transport standards, operation of refrigeration and freezing systems, and workers’ personal hygiene.

Additionally, norovirus testing was carried out for over 390 food service employees, and advance microbiological testing of cooking water was conducted to eliminate potential health risks in advance.

Prepared foods transported to Gyeongju were strictly managed in accordance with the Food Sanitation Act, including temperature control (above 60°C or below 4°C), sample sealing, preserved meal storage, and English-language and allergen labeling.
The city also carried out inspection and sealing procedures from 4 a.m. to ensure the safe transport of main dishes served at official summit banquets.

For the three days that world leaders stayed in Busan, the city maintained a 24-hour on-site response system, monitoring and supporting all stages—from cooking and serving to preservation—of food safety management in real time.

Cho Gyuyul, Director General of the Citizens’ Health Bureau, stated,
“Safely managing even a single meal and one night’s lodging is the first step toward Busan being recognized as a trustworthy city on the global stage. We will continue to advance our ‘Safe Busan’ hygiene management system to protect citizens’ health and uphold the dignity of international events.”