Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Appoints Actor Han Sang-jin and BNK SUM Women’s Professional Basketball Head Coach Park Jung-eun as Media Communication Ambassadors

내용

Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that on March 16 at 15:40, in the City Hall International Protocol Room, actor Han Sang-jin and BNK SUM women’s professional basketball team head coach Park Jung-eun were appointed as Media Communication Ambassadors for Busan Metropolitan City.

This appointment was made to widely promote Busan’s stature as a globally recognized city brand and to strengthen communication with citizens. The term for the two ambassadors will be two years, during which they will promote Busan through the city’s official communication channels and related activities.

Actor Han Sang-jin has actively worked across a wide range of fields including television dramas, films, entertainment programs, and web content, while also demonstrating his deep affection for Busan through his life rather than words.

After settling in Busan five years ago following his wife Park Jung-eun’s appointment to BNK SUM, the city has become more than just a place of residence for him; it has become his second hometown.

In particular, he has consistently practiced the philosophy that “money earned in Busan should be spent in Busan.” His remark, “I am prouder to be a Busan citizen than to be an actor,” reflects the sincerity of someone who has firmly rooted his life in the city as one of its residents.

Busan Metropolitan City explained that this sincerity—demonstrated through his life in Busan—is precisely why he can represent the city in the most genuine way, which led to his appointment as an ambassador.

Han Sang-jin is a veteran actor who has appeared in numerous works such as The White Tower, Sons of Sol Pharmacy House, Deep Rooted Tree, and The Judge from Hell. Recently, he also launched the web entertainment program Busan Wife Han Sang-jin, drawing attention for his distinctive wit and talk skills in entertainment content as well. He received the Best New Actor Award at the 2007 MBC Drama Awards and the Excellence in Acting Award at the 2022 APAN STAR AWARDS.

In addition, at the 2024 Grimme Awards ceremony, he received a special award for the film Dear My Friend, which he personally directed, demonstrating his capabilities as a filmmaker. The film Dear My Friend won four awards at major international film festivals, including the Hollywood Gold Awards, gaining recognition for its artistic excellence on the global stage.

BNK SUM women’s professional basketball team head coach Park Jung-eun is a legendary Busan-born women’s basketball player who made history in two ways: appearing in four consecutive Olympic Games and becoming the first female head coach to win a professional basketball championship.

A Busan native who graduated from Gwaebeop Elementary School, Dongju Girls’ Middle School, Dongju Girls’ High School, and Kyung Hee University, she played as a national team member and set a record of four consecutive Olympic appearances.
※ 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing

Often referred to as the “Daughter of Busan,” she has continued her dedication to Busan sports by leading her hometown team, BNK SUM. She guided the team to victory in the 2024–2025 championship series, becoming the first female head coach in professional basketball history to win a championship and emerging as a new symbol of Busan sports.

Coach Park played for Samsung Life Insurance for 19 years as an elite forward, achieving four Olympic appearances and five league championships. Her jersey number 11 during her playing career was designated as the club’s first permanently retired number. After retiring, she served as a coach and senior coach for Samsung Life Insurance before being appointed head coach of BNK SUM in 2021.

The fact that the two individuals—active respectively in broadcasting and sports—are a married couple also adds significance to this appointment as ambassadors.

With Coach Park Jung-eun, known as the “Daughter of Busan,” and actor Han Sang-jin, often called the “Son-in-law of Busan,” serving together as ambassadors, the city expects them to deliver a more approachable and sincere message promoting Busan.

At the appointment ceremony, along with the certificates of appointment, a framed “Busan Metropolitan City basketball uniform” bearing their names was presented as a commemorative plaque.

The number 11 on the uniform is the number Park Jung-eun wore during her time with Samsung Life Insurance and the club’s first permanently retired number.

The city explained that engraving this number along with the names of the two ambassadors symbolizes a request for them—who have each brought distinction to Busan through broadcasting and sports—to continue running together for the promotion of Busan.

Meanwhile, Busan Metropolitan City plans to release new content featuring actor Han Sang-jin through the city’s official YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@Busan_is_good) during the first half of this year.

The city intends to produce content that communicates with citizens through Han Sang-jin’s candid and cheerful style of conversation.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Coach Park Jung-eun, who was born and raised in Busan, and actor Han Sang-jin, who chose Busan as the place to build his life, will now serve together as ambassadors for Busan Metropolitan City. The affection for Busan that the two have demonstrated through their lives will deliver a stronger message than any promotion. I hope their ambassadorial activities will become a journey in which both Busan and the two ambassadors grow together.”