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A Citizen-Happy City Where Everyone Wants to Live: Busan Launches “Warm Lunar New Year Holiday” Initiative

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Busan Metropolitan City Mayor Park Heong-joon announced that the city has established the “2026 Warm Lunar New Year Holiday” initiative plan and will begin full-scale sharing activities to help build “a citizen-happy city where everyone wants to live” by sharing warmth and compassion with neighbors.

Busan Metropolitan City will designate the two weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year holiday—from February 2 through February 13—as the intensive campaign period for the “Warm Lunar New Year Holiday” initiative, and will provide a variety of support to vulnerable groups.

All departments at City Hall and affiliated offices, including senior city officials, will participate by delivering donations of cash and goods to 89 social welfare facilities to share warmth and care.

In addition, the city will support the cost of memorial rite tables for four homeless shelters so that those unable to return to their hometowns can hold joint memorial rites and spend the holiday together. The city will also provide a holiday allowance of 50,000 won per person to 27,100 elderly people living alone.

Furthermore, the 16 districts and counties will establish their own plans and actively participate in holiday support programs, helping spread a culture of sharing and compassion across local communities during the Lunar New Year holiday season.

At the district and county level, local governments will support low-income households—including child-headed households and elderly households without family support—through partnerships with local volunteers and civic groups. They will also work with welfare centers, care service providers, and public-private consultative bodies at the eup, myeon, and dong levels to support marginalized and vulnerable neighbors in their communities so they can enjoy a warm holiday season.

Major related organizations—including BNK Financial Group, the Busan Community Chest of Korea, and the Busan Branch of the Korean Red Cross—will also participate in Lunar New Year support efforts, further broadening the scope of sharing.

BNK Financial Group Chairman Bin Dae-in provided 19,000 essential living supply packages worth a total of 450 million won, containing various food items such as noodles, ramen, coffee, and sesame oil. Employees packed the items themselves through volunteer work and delivered them to 9,000 low-income and vulnerable households.

Busan Community Chest of Korea Chairman Lee Su-tae will provide special holiday living expense support totaling 1.13 billion won—100,000 won per household—to 113,000 low-income and vulnerable households. In addition, the organization will provide holiday gift items worth 27 million won to residents of jjokbang housing through two jjokbang counseling centers in Busan.

Busan Branch of the Korean Red Cross Chairman Gu Jeong-hoe supported 9,000 low-income households with nutrition rice sets worth a total of 69 million won. In preparation for disasters such as cold waves, the organization also delivered heating tents worth 120,000 won each to 1,500 low-income households, totaling 180 million won.

Mayor Park Heong-joon asked citizens for their interest and cooperation so that care and attention for neighbors in need can be conveyed through warm compassion during the Lunar New Year holiday, one of Korea’s biggest traditional holidays. He added that Busan Metropolitan City will continue to work closely with districts and counties and related organizations so that all citizens can enjoy a happy and warm holiday season.