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Busan Metropolitan City to Host the 2026 Busan National Heritage Night of the Wartime Capital

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Chun Jae-soo) announced that it will host the 2026 Busan National Heritage Night of the Wartime Capital on July 24 and 25 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Yeongdo Bridge (Yurari Plaza) and nearby locations.

Since 2016, the city has organized this nighttime cultural heritage event featuring exhibitions, hands-on experiences, and performances that highlight Busan's distinctive historical and cultural resources as the Republic of Korea's wartime capital for 1,023 days during the Korean War.

This year's event, held in conjunction with the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, is expected to promote the outstanding universal value of the Wartime Capital Busan Heritage to domestic and international audiences while expanding public support for its nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Under the theme "Busan, the City of Memory: Walking Through a Heritage of Emotions," this year's program features 20 activities across eight nighttime themes, inviting residents and visitors to walk through, see, hear, experience, and connect with the history and cultural heritage of Busan as the wartime capital.

Programs include nighttime heritage tours of sites such as the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum and the Busan Weather Observatory, hands-on craft experiences, ESG-themed plogging activities, a history talk concert, and storytelling performances for children, offering engaging experiences for participants of all ages.

The event will also feature a community-produced musical created by local artists and residents, street performances, and a recreation of Mildawon, one of the most iconic coffee houses of the wartime period, where young local artists will present performances and exhibitions.

In particular, a media façade synchronized with the nighttime opening of Yeongdo Bridge and specially designed nighttime lighting will illuminate the history and significance of Busan as the wartime capital, providing visitors with a unique evening attraction.

During the nighttime bridge opening on July 25 from 8:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., a media façade will be projected onto Yeongdo Bridge. Traditional lanterns, decorative nighttime lighting, and photo zones will also be installed at Yurari Plaza and major wartime heritage sites. At Yurari Plaza, reenactment actors will interact with visitors in booths recreating daily life during the wartime period, providing opportunities to experience and reflect on the heritage of the wartime capital.

To help revitalize the city's original downtown, where many of the Wartime Capital Busan Heritage sites are concentrated, Busan Metropolitan City will also promote local economic revitalization programs in collaboration with small businesses.

These initiatives include flea markets and food booths operated by local merchants, as well as promotional events offering commemorative gifts to visitors who present proof of purchases at restaurants in Jung-gu or stay for at least one night at accommodations in Busan, encouraging economic activity in the city's historic downtown.

More information about the event is available on the official website at https://busan-heritage-night.com. During the event period, the Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum, the Provisional Capital Memorial Hall, and other participating heritage sites will remain open until 10:00 p.m.

Cho Yu-jang, Director General of the Culture Bureau, said, "The National Heritage Night is more than an event where people simply view the history and culture of Busan as the wartime capital. It is a participatory festival where residents and visitors can experience and empathize with that history firsthand. Together with the hosting of the World Heritage Committee session, we hope this event will further raise awareness of the ongoing effort to inscribe the Wartime Capital Busan Heritage on the UNESCO World Heritage List."