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Haeundae Special Tourist Zone Becomes Korea’s First Global Special Tourist Zone

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Busan Metropolitan City announced today, July 31, that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has selected the Haeundae Special Tourist Zone as the nation’s first project site under the Global Special Tourist Zone Development Project. The project is being pursued as a national policy initiative to create global extended-stay tourism destinations and specialized regional hubs for the tourism industry.

Designated in 1994 as Korea’s first special tourist zone, the Haeundae Special Tourist Zone has now become the country’s first Global Special Tourist Zone. To prepare for the competitive selection process, Busan Metropolitan City and Haeundae-gu carefully reviewed and coordinated the project plan, sought advice from experts in relevant fields, and gathered a broad range of opinions.

Based on this preparation, the city submitted a future convergence-oriented Global Special Tourist Zone project proposal integrating flagship content, tourism services, and smart technology. Following a rigorous review by an expert evaluation committee, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism selected the Haeundae Special Tourist Zone as the first Global Special Tourist Zone among special tourist zones nationwide.

A total of KRW 6 billion, including KRW 3 billion in national funding, will be invested in the Haeundae Global Special Tourist Zone over two years from 2026 to 2027.

The entire budget will be used to expand flagship content and improve services rather than construct facilities. A 6.2-square-kilometer area encompassing Haeundae and Songjeong Beaches, Gunam-ro, the Busan Cinema Center, Nurimaru APEC House, BEXCO, and Haeundae Dalmaji Hill will be developed into a globally competitive hub for extended-stay tourism.

Under the theme “ALL-TIME HAEUNDAE: A Global Special Tourist Zone Where Day and Night, Work and Leisure Coexist,” the city will present a diverse range of tourism content that allows visitors to experience the appeal of Haeundae throughout the year. Programs will include the annual attraction of global intellectual property content, monthly themed programs along Dalmaji-gil, a weekly night festival, and daily tourism programs.

The city will also introduce artificial intelligence-based, 24-hour unmanned tourist information centers and a smart payment system for international visitors, creating an environment in which foreign tourists can enjoy Haeundae without language barriers. In addition, intelligent CCTV systems will be used to analyze visitor density and other conditions to help ensure a safe tourism environment.

In particular, the city plans to establish a fair and transparent accommodation environment through a mutual cooperation agreement with the hotel association in the special tourist zone. This measure is intended to address sharp increases in accommodation prices that have recently occurred during major events.

A customized checkout system for hotel guests will also be introduced to encourage visitors to extend their stays.

Meanwhile, the Busan Dong-gu Cruise Special Tourist Zone was newly designated on July 8, bringing the total number of special tourist zones currently designated and operating in Busan to three.

The city will support each special tourist zone in making active use of its distinctive tourism resources. Through these efforts, Busan will concentrate its capabilities on attracting international visitors and promoting extended-stay tourism.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, “The Haeundae Special Tourist Zone, designated as Korea’s first special tourist zone in 1994, has now been selected as the nation’s first Global Special Tourist Zone based on the tourism infrastructure and brand competitiveness it has built over more than 30 years.”

“This is a meaningful achievement that once again recognizes Busan as the tourism city representing the Republic of Korea,” he added.

“We will continue to strengthen Busan’s distinctive tourism identity and differentiated appeal, advance as a world-class tourism city where people from around the globe come to work, enjoy themselves, and stay, and accelerate the arrival of an era in which Busan welcomes 6 million international visitors annually.”