Busan is good

Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum to Host Humanities Concert Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of Busan Port Opening

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The Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum (hereinafter referred to as the Museum) announced that it will host a humanities concert under the theme “Asking the Path of Busan” in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the opening of Busan Port.

The event will be held every Saturday from April to August 2026, for a total of 15 sessions, at the annex building of the Museum.

Since its opening, Busan has been a city that first came into contact with the outside world and experienced significant transformation. This humanities concert has been planned to provide a multi-layered examination of Busan’s history, shaped by rapid change, conflict, acceptance, and creativity since the port opening, and to reflect on the city’s present and future within contemporary contexts.

To illustrate this trajectory, the program will unfold under the following monthly themes: “Opening and Busan” (April), “The Era of Busan” (May), “The Strength of Busan” (June), “The Heritage of Busan” (July), and “The Future of Busan” (August).

The most distinctive feature of the program is its interdisciplinary composition. Fifteen speakers, including leading researchers from Busan across various fields—such as history, literature, folklore, political science and economics, urban planning, art studies, and meteorology—as well as key figures who have led major international events in the city, will participate.

In April, lectures will be delivered by Hong Soon-kwon (History, Emeritus Professor at Dong-A University), Jeong Byeong-mo (Art Studies, Principal of the Korean Minhwa School), and Kim Jeong-ha (Folklore, Emeritus Professor at Korea Maritime and Ocean University), highlighting the characteristics of Busan as a “maritime city” through the history of Busan Port and patterns of cultural exchange since its opening.

In May, Kim Dae-rae (Economics, Emeritus Professor at Silla University) and Ko Jong-hwan (International Area Studies, Emeritus Professor at Pukyong National University) will present lectures examining Busan as an industrial city from the perspectives of industrialization and globalization, while exploring ways to improve the city based on lessons from the past.

In June, Jo Gap-sang (Literature, Emeritus Professor at Kyungsung University), Jo Gwang-su (Political Science, President of the Narim Research Society), and Roy Alok Kumar (Diplomacy, Emeritus Professor at Busan University of Foreign Studies) will deliver lectures exploring the strength of Busan through the themes of “resistance and inclusiveness.”

In August, lectures will be given by Axel Timmermann (Meteorology, Distinguished Professor at Pusan National University), Jeong Sang-su (Advertising and Public Relations, Deputy Executive Director of the Busan International Marketing Advertising Festival), Park Kwang-su (Film Studies, Chairman of the Busan International Film Festival), and Lee Hae-in (Poet and Religious Figure, Olivetan Benedictine Sisters Monastery). These sessions will explore the vision Busan should embrace amid global crises and provide an opportunity to reflect on the value of the humanities in this context.

In July, a special program will be organized in connection with the World Heritage Committee session. The annex building of the Museum (formerly the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Information Service), where the event will take place, is also one of the eleven sites included in the “Busan Wartime Capital Heritage” selected for the tentative list of World Heritage nominations by the Cultural Heritage Administration.

Kang Dong-jin (Urban Planning, Member of the Cultural Heritage Committee), Lee Jeong-seon (Cultural Resource Studies, Professor at the University of Tokyo), and Cha Cheol-uk (History, Professor at Pusan National University) will present Busan’s vision as a cultural city through the lens of World Heritage and raise public interest in the inscription of the Busan Wartime Capital Heritage and the hosting of the World Heritage Committee session.

To foster public engagement, the event will feature a variety of programs, including keynote lectures, citizen-participatory discussions, and small-scale concerts. Participants will gain not only insights into local history but also an opportunity to experience Busan in a sensory and engaging way.

The event will be hosted by novelist Oh Seong-eun, while the small concert segment will be led by composer Kang Hyun-min. Both individuals have been selected as beneficiaries of the “Busan Young World-Class Talent Development Project,” which aims to enhance the city’s global competitiveness.

Any interested citizen may participate in the program free of charge. Advance registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis (40 participants per session) via the Museum’s website (busan.go.kr/mmch). For further inquiries, please contact the Museum’s Operations Team at 051-607-8034.

Kim Ki-yong, Director of the Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum, stated, “This humanities concert goes beyond reflecting on the past 150 years of Busan and serves as a platform to pose new questions for the next 150 years. Through the convergence of diverse academic perspectives, citizens will come together to ask and answer the question of ‘Busan’s path.’”