The second largest city in South Korea, Pusan has an entirely different appeal than the capital Seoul. A port city, Pusan is a quieter and more laid back version of Seoul having less shopping spots, restaurants and nightlife than the capital. Despite this, Pusan has a charm of its own: the warm and kind people of the city.


Places to visit

Visitors can head to Kyongju, which is located to the North of Pusan. One of the popular places to stay here is the Lotte Pusan Hotel, which boasts large picture windows that give you a nice view of the cityscape any time of the day.

For traditional Korean cuisine, visitors may try out Mu Gung Hwa, a Korean restaurant situated on the upper floors of the hotel. One of their specialties is the Kalbi or barbecued sliced beef spare ribs.

Here, you could also try ordering table d'hôte (a full course meal) for a truly memorable Korean dining experience.

While the amount of nightspots is relatively less than in Seoul, the nightlife in Pusan is very much active, fueled by lots of young people who have since adopted very cosmopolitan tastes and ways.
       
 

For those wanting to experience local life or get the chance to eat some fresh seafood, visitors can walk over to the Chagalch'I Fish Market, a famous huge fish market located on the harbor front.

Other places of interest are: Pusan Tower, which with its height of 118 meters offers the best 360-degree panoramic views of the Pusan skyline. Yongdusan Park, where the Pusan tower is located is a tourist destination in its own right. It has also since become one of the fashionable dating spots in Korea. To the East of Yongdusan Park lies Kukche market where one could find countless shops and stalls selling anything from food to electric appliances and clothes.

 

Shopping

For those wanting to do some serious shopping, there is the Lotte department store. This department store is adjacent to the Somyon subway station and even has an underground entrance making the store so accessible to disembarking passengers.

The whole 8th floor of the Lotte Department store is occupied by a duty free shop, which keeps a very comprehensive stock of most sought after items.

There is another large shopping area in Somyon around the Chung Angno area. The place is most active at night where many young Koreans stroll with friends. American style fast food stores are also to be found here.