Hong 
I almost skipped the Jinju Silk Museum entirely. I was in Jinju for the fortress, maybe a walk along the Nam River, and then back to Busan. But a friend mentioned that KeySook Geum — the artist behind the “Snow Fairy” costumes from the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics opening ceremony — had a special exhibition running … Read more
Most travelers visiting Busan for temples head straight to Haedong Yonggungsa on the coast or Samgwangsa for its lantern-lit photo ops. I wanted somewhere quieter — a place where I could sit still without dodging selfie sticks. That search led me to Seonamsa, and it turned out to be the kind of calm I didn’t … Read more
If you ask me where to stay in Busan, I’ll steer you away from Haeundae or Gwangalli and point you toward Seomyeon instead — and after my latest stay, here’s my honest Busan Seomyeon hotel review to explain why. Seomyeon sits right where subway Lines 1 and 2 cross in Busanjin-gu’s Bujeon-dong neighborhood, which is … Read more
The weather was too good to waste indoors this weekend, so I went looking for somewhere close to home that wouldn’t turn into a full-day production. That’s how I ended up back at Busan Children’s Grand Park in Choeup, a place I hadn’t visited with my own family in years. Most people who think of … Read more
I needed to be near Busan Port early one morning, and getting there from further away at that hour seemed worse than just staying close. Cotice The Ground Busan came up when I searched for hotels near Nampo-dong — the location looked right, the price was reasonable, and the reviews were solid. I booked the … Read more
Cheonmasan Observatory Busan opened for a soft launch on June 9, 2026. It is a new multi-floor complex on Cheonmasan Mountain in Seo-gu, featuring a skywalk with a partial glass floor and a rooftop observatory with panoramic views of Busan port, Namhang Bridge, Yeongdo Island, and on clear days, as far as Haeundae. The views … Read more
I first visited Gamcheon Culture Village in 2017. I came back recently, and the difference was enough to make it feel like an almost entirely different place. More visitors from overseas, a BTS mural that didn’t exist before, and a second viewpoint — the Byeolmaru Observatory — that offers a perspective I hadn’t seen. This … Read more
Most people who visit the Seomyeon area in Busan have heard of Jeonpo Cafe Street. Fewer know about the alley running parallel to it — Jeonpo Tool Street Busan, also called Jeollidangil — which tells a different and arguably more interesting story. In 2017, the New York Times named Jeonpo Cafe Street one of 52 … Read more
After checking out of my hotel with a few hours to spare, I wanted somewhere to sit down with a coffee and not feel rushed. Jeonpo Cafe Street in Seomyeon tends to be the answer to that kind of afternoon in Busan — the neighborhood has the right mix of low-key and interesting, and Upper … Read more
Korea takes its bread seriously. Seriously enough that there is an annual competition — Le Pain Bread Festival — where bakers from across the country compete for titles in categories like baguette and croissant. The 2024 croissant champion runs a bakery cafe called Choi, and Cafe Choi Yangsan sits not in Seoul or central Busan, … Read more