Busan marks 50th anniversary as a Metropolitan City, and an increasingly International City
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Over the past 50 years in Busan, the population has increased from 1.3 million to 3.58 million and the city's area has expanded to more than twice its original size. One area that used to be an empty plain full of old one-story houses is now lined with skyscrapers and is home to the world's biggest department store.
Busan has achieved remarkable growth, with the growth of its metro network, the development of Busan New Port, the rapid increase in passenger volumes at Gimhae Airport to 4 million a year, and so forth. BIFF (Busan International Film Festival) and BFF (Busan Fireworks Festival), which used to be local festivals, have become leading international events for Korea. The 2002 Asian Games, matches of the 2002 World Cup and 2005 APEC were all held in Busan. Large international conventions such as BIMOS (Busan International Motor Show), the computer game convention GStar, and the Lions Clubs International Convention have all contributed to the region's economic revitalization.
