This weekend my program, TEAN, did an excursion to Busan.
When looking at a map of South Korea, Busan is on the southeast coast of Korea. From Seoul, it is about a 4-hour train ride if you take the KTX which is the same as a bullet train. A unique experience for the ride is getting a pre-made lunch box to eat on the train. While I planned on getting one, I found that many of the stores do not open until around 7 or 8am. I had to arrive at Seoul station by 6am, so I was able to get a rice bowl, but not a lunch box.
How was the trip?
Overall, the trip was fine, I would rate it a 5/10. It was a two-day weekend trip; Saturday and Sunday. The reason for the score is simple; it was raining like crazy. As someone from the PNW, I have never experienced such large and heavy rain. At the end of Saturday night, my shoes, pants, and jacket were soaked. So I warn you, if you decide to come to Busan, please research the weather before going.
Another trouble I had with the trip was that it felt rushed with no breaks. Things were happening from when I woke up at 4am, to 9pm when I had dinner. The itinerary was packed! Once we arrived at Busan Station, we went to Jagalchi Fish Market and Busan International Film Festival Square, then we went to Gukje Market. Next, we did the Songdo Cable Car and Crossed the Songdo Skywalk bridge. Lastly, we went to Gamcheon Culture Village. On Sunday, first, we had breakfast at the hotel. Then we went to a Buddhist temple. Then we went to Heaundae Beach. For lunch we ate shabu shabu. Then we went back to Busan station to go back to Seoul.
Busan’s History
Busan has a very deep and rich history. While I am not going to write the entire history of Busan I will mention some main points about the city.
Busan has an extensive history that goes back to 10 different versions of Korea. The name Busan in Korean translates to “cauldron mountain.” This describes what Busan looks like geographically. While there are various beaches, it is then met with rough, steep mountains. Streets outside of the city of Busan are steep and curvy so it is quite dangerous to drive through.
Busan especially has a deep history in regard to Japanese occupation, World War 2, and the Korean War. During the Japanese occupation, Busan was the main port for the Japanese because of how close it was to Japan. During World War 2, countries like the US would dock at Busan to support Korea in fighting the Japanese.
During the Korean War, Busan was 1 of 2 cities that was never captured by North Korea. Therefore many war refugees fled to Busan for safety. Therefore during the Korean War, Busan became the temporary capital. Gamcheon Culture Village was a neighborhood where many war refugees lived, then in the 90’s the Busan government wanted to demolish the neighborhood and redevelop the area, but the people of Busan wanted to preserve the history of the neighborhood. So instead the neighborhood was revitalized through the use of murals and pastel-colored buildings.
DU Abroad 