Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City to Launch Citizen-Participatory “Busan Citizen Homestay” Program to Stabilize Accommodation Prices Through the Expansion of Fair Lodging

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk, announced that it will launch the “Busan Citizen Homestay” project (tentative name: Busan Seagull Nest Stay), a citizen-participatory shared accommodation model, as the Fair Lodging Challenge for stabilizing accommodation prices expands throughout civil society ahead of the “BTS World Tour Arirang in Busan” concerts scheduled for June 12 and 13.

Since May 22, beginning with Beomeosa Temple, the city has promoted the Fair Lodging Challenge and successfully encouraged participation from public and private institutions, including Christian organizations, the Busan Bank Training Center, Busan Physical Education High School, Samsung Haeundae Training Center, and the Busan Human Resource Development Center.

Currently, public accommodation facilities jointly provided by Busan citizens and public institutions can accommodate approximately 1,400 people. With the addition of the Busan Citizen Homestay project, further support is being provided to stabilize the accommodation market.

According to the global accommodation reservation platform KKday, accommodation rates in Busan, which exceeded KRW 1 million at their peak in April, had fallen by the end of May to below KRW 500,000 for most properties other than five-star hotels. This is believed to reflect the positive impact of fair lodging initiatives and increased accommodation supply jointly promoted by the city, religious organizations, and public institutions.

In addition, data from overseas accommodation booking platforms indicate that, as of May 29, more than 180 accommodation providers across Busan’s 16 districts—including 26 in Haeundae, 17 in Dongnae, and 17 in the Nampo-dong area—offered rooms priced below KRW 300,000 per night during the BTS concert period (June 12–13). When accommodations listed on other platforms and those not registered on booking platforms are also considered, the supply capacity of affordable and mid-priced lodging is expected to be even greater, suggesting that the accommodation market is gradually stabilizing.

The Busan Citizen Homestay project (tentative name: Busan Seagull Nest Stay) is a citizen-participatory mutual-support model in which Busan residents voluntarily share their homes to address the recurring issue of excessive accommodation prices during major events.

Whereas previous fair lodging efforts were led primarily by the city government, related institutions, religious organizations, and academic circles, the Busan Citizen Homestay project is significant as a pioneering example of citizen-led cooperative governance, in which residents directly participate by opening their homes to visitors.

Through this initiative, the city plans to demonstrate the character of an international tourism destination that grows together with local communities while creating a more reasonable accommodation environment for overseas visitors to Busan.

The project combines the voluntary participation of Busan civic organizations with the technological support of Wehome, the nation’s only regulatory-sandbox platform legally authorized to provide shared accommodations for both domestic and international guests, creating a public-private cooperation model.

By utilizing the government’s regulatory sandbox program, legal restrictions on domestic guests have been resolved, presenting a new alternative accommodation model that transforms citizens’ living spaces into lodging infrastructure for large-scale international events.

Applications can be submitted through the Busan Seagull Nest Stay website at k-popstay.wehome.me or through the dedicated application page within Visit Korea, the Republic of Korea’s official tourism portal. When foreign visitors, including overseas ARMY members, submit applications, accommodations will be assigned through Wehome’s matching system.

The project will operate from June 12 to June 14, covering residences owned by Busan citizens and members of participating organizations. Accommodation stays will be provided on a two-night, three-day basis.

The Busan Citizen Homestay project (tentative name: Busan Seagull Nest Stay) will operate as a trust-based, free accommodation program. To prevent speculative reservations and no-shows, a performance deposit of KRW 50,000 will be required at the time of booking.

The deposited amount will be fully refunded upon check-in in the form of a Busan Tourism Gift Card valued at KRW 50,000, ensuring that foreign visitors, including overseas ARMY members, incur no actual accommodation costs.

The refunded gift card can be used at traditional markets and neighborhood commercial districts throughout Busan, helping increase sales for local small businesses and stimulate the regional economy.

In addition, Busan Metropolitan City plans to support liability insurance premiums for hosts within budget limits so that citizens who voluntarily share their homes can welcome guests with greater peace of mind.

Kim Bong-cheol, Assistant Mayor of Digital Economy Office, stated, “This project is an innovative cooperative governance model that combines citizens’ voluntary participation, local government administrative support, and regulatory-sandbox technology to address the chronic problem of excessive accommodation pricing.”

He added, “Not only will this initiative reinforce Busan’s image as a warm and fair tourism city among global fandom communities, but we also intend to establish it as a representative alternative accommodation standard model that can proactively resolve accommodation challenges when hosting future large-scale international events.”