Busan is good

Weekend Plans for Families: “Science!”—2026 Korea Science Festival with Busan Science Festival to Be Held

내용

Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will hold the “2026 Korea Science Festival with Busan Science Festival” over two days from April 11 to 12 at Hall 1 and Hall 2A of Exhibition Center 1 at BEXCO in Haeundae-gu.

This year’s event is notable for being jointly held with the Busan Science Festival, which takes place every April, as Busan has been selected as the Yeongnam region host city for the Korea Science Festival organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT. Through this integration, the City plans to enhance synergy by expanding science culture that reflects regional characteristics and by offering a science festival that citizens can actively experience.

The event is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, Busan Metropolitan City, and the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education, and jointly organized by the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity, Busan Science & Technology Council, National Science Museum of Busan, and Busan Creative Convergence Education Center.

This year’s Busan Science Festival will be held under the theme “The Taste of Science—AI Cooks Too,” featuring exhibitions, hands-on experiences, lectures, and performances that present science and artificial intelligence (AI) in an easy and engaging manner. Visitors will be able to directly see, enjoy, and experience how science is applied across everyday life, industry, and culture.

A total of 107 organizations will participate, operating 154 programs. Various programs will be prepared, including the opening ceremony and the Busan Science and Technology Awards ceremony, as well as themed exhibition halls, science lectures and performances, and hands-on booths.

The exhibition halls will be organized around five “flavors”: “Sweet Playground,” “Fresh Laboratory,” “Savory Lab,” “Bitter Exploration Room,” and “Umami Talk Lounge,” allowing visitors to experience science through all five senses.

At the “Sweet Playground,” visitors can explore the scientific principles behind foods from leading Busan food companies and enjoy engaging content such as a robot café and a sensory survival experience themed on taste.

At the “Fresh Laboratory,” the achievements of Busan’s specialized industries and innovative companies will be showcased, highlighting connections between regional industries and science and technology in areas such as hydrogen, power semiconductors, marine industries, and advanced materials and components.

The “Savory Lab” will serve as a science education experience zone operated by the Busan Creative Convergence Education Center and science clubs from middle and high schools, featuring a variety of hands-on science programs run directly by students.

The “Bitter Exploration Room” will offer self-guided experiential content, while the “Umami Talk Lounge” will host diverse stage programs including citizen-participation science lectures, performances, science quizzes, and interactive shows.

The opening ceremony will take place at 10:00 a.m. on April 11, the first day of the event, at the main stage of Exhibition Center 1 at BEXCO, with approximately 150 attendees including the Vice Mayor for Administrative Affairs, the Superintendent of Education, officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the President of the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity, the Director of the National Science Museum of Busan, and representatives from universities and companies.

During the opening ceremony, the 25th Busan Science and Technology Awards will be presented to recognize and encourage outstanding local scientists and engineers who have achieved excellence in research and development, and to widely publicize contributions to the advancement of science culture in Busan.

Meanwhile, the Busan Science Festival has been held since 2002 as a representative science culture event of the city. This year, through its integration with the Korea Science Festival, it will offer even richer programs and expanded participation.

The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and further details can be found on the Busan Science Festival website (www.busansf.or.kr).

Kim Kyung-duk, Vice Mayor for Administrative Affairs, stated, “This year’s science festival is especially meaningful as it brings together the Korea Science Festival and the Busan Science Festival. It will provide citizens with a valuable opportunity to experience science, artificial intelligence, and the future of local industries all in one place,” adding, “We have prepared a wide range of programs so that people of all ages can easily and enjoyably experience science, and we ask for your interest and participation.”