Busan is good

2025 Exchange Exhibition: Writers Revealed – 500 Years of Literature and Art from Shakespeare Onward

2025 Exchange Exhibition: Writers Revealed – 500 Years of Literature and Art from Shakespeare OnwardWriters Revealedo Period: Tuesday, September 30, 2025 – Sunday, January 18, 2026- Tuesday – Sunday (closed on Mondays)※Exception: Open Monday, October 6; closed Friday, October 10o Venue: Special Exhibition Room, Busan Museumo Hours: 9:00–18:00 (last ticketing and admission at 17:00)o Highlights: 137 works, including portraits, manuscripts, letters, and rare first editions by Britain’s literary masters—such as the portrait of Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s first collected plays First Folio, and the handwritten manuscript of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectationso Hosted by: Busan Museum, National Portrait Gallery (United Kingdom)o Website: https://museum.busan.go.kr/busan/bsopboard/1696209◆ Online Reservation: NOL Interparkhttps://tickets.interpark.com/goods/25013175◆ Early Bird Offero Period: Tuesday, September 9–Monday, September 29, 2025o Discount: 40%- Adults: 15,000 → 9,000 won- Youth (13–18): 12,000 → 7,200 won- Children (7–12): 10,000 → 6,000 wono Valid Until: Sunday, December 7, 2025◆ AdmissionAdults (19–64): 15,000 won; Youth (13–18): 12,000 won; Children (7–12): 10,000 wonFree: Children under 7, seniors over 65, persons with disabilities one guardian, national merit recipients, etc.Busan citizens: 2,000 won off

Free Transfers Between Public Transit Systems in Busan, Gimhae, and Yangsan Commence on September 19

Free Transfers Between Public Transit Systems in Busan, Gimhae, and Yangsan Commence on September 19□ Starting September 19, 2025, Busan Metropolitan City and Gyeongsangnam-do (Gimhae, Yangsan) will waive intercity public transit transfer fees (500 won for adults).○ As part of the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Special Association’s citizen-focused policies, Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do (Gimhae, Yangsan) agreed to abolish the surcharge, in place since 2011, in order to ease transportation costs, encourage public transit ridership, and strengthen cohesion across the metropolitan sphere.○ Previously, passengers transferring between buses or subways in Busan, Gimhae, and Yangsan faced extra charges, which were often criticized for imposing financial burdens and hindering regional connectivity.□ Under this new initiative, travelers using Busan’s buses and subways, Gimhae’s buses, Yangsan’s buses, and the light rail will no longer incur transfer fees.□ It is expected to generate annual savings of 5.5 billion won*, with regular riders—such as commuters and students—saving over 10,000 won per month on average.*Based on Busan’s public transit data□ The benefit will be automatically applied to all transit card holders, without separate registration.□ Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do (Gimhae, Yangsan) are joining forces to realize transport welfare and eco-friendly mobility. Moving forward, we will continue improving intercity transportation so that Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do (Gimhae, Yangsan) can function as one integrated living circle.”

Our writer on the street asks: `What brings you to Busan?'

Busan has been welcoming a growing number of international tourists. For this edition, we spoke with visitors from around the world to discover what they find most charming about the city.●Croatian father and daughter from Germany: 　Branko (right) and Lorna (left)Branko explained their visit simply: "Tourism! We wanted to see your country." Lorna added, "I used to be a huge K-pop fan, so I wanted to see Korea."Their first impressions of Busan were positive. "It's sunny, it's warm and public traffic is good," said Branko.The family also enjoyed the scenery of  Haeundae Beach at night. "The view was perfect and at night time it was like a mixture of nature, the beach and the skyline," Lorna said.They arrived by train from Seoul and planned to stay three days. The heat wave seemed to influence their experience. When asked to summarize Busan in one word, Branko said, "It's very warm." Lorna echoed, "It's very hot. But it's very beautiful too." ●Three sisters from Germany: 　Emily (right), Jessi (middle), and Franzi (left)After a few days in Seoul, sisters Emily, Jessi and Franzi took the train south to explore Busan. "We wanted to see what South Korea was like and also the seaside," Emily said. Jessi added that social media recommendations led them here, while Franzi hoped to enjoy the sunshine.Their first impressions were unanimous: Busan's mix of mountains, beaches and city life made it stand out. "It's not as big as Seoul, but still it's quite a big city, so you can still do loads of activities," Jessi said. Franzi praised the city's convenience, noting how easy it is to reach both mountains and the sea within half an hour.Food was a highlight for Emily, who recalled a "Cheese Dakgalbi" dish she loved. But beyond food and scenery, the sisters agreed that the kindness and generosity of Busan people made the most significant impact. "Even if they cannot speak English, they will try to help you with their feet, with their hands, with everything," Franzi said. ●A couple from Spain: 　Ana (right) and Juanma (left)The couple, both teachers, came to Korea out of curiosity. "We wanted to know about the culture, to visit the country and try the food, and it was better than we expected," Ana said.Juanma added, "We have been traveling around Korea and we didn't expect a lot from Busan, but we are amazed by everything in the city." They explained that they had looked up blogs and YouTube videos before arriving, but left room for surprise once in Busan.When asked about highlights, Ana replied, "We just came from the fish market and it was very surprising - the atmosphere, everything - and also the temple which is next to the sea." For Juanma, Busan felt instantly familiar: "I live very near the sea, so for me, this city feels like home. It's the city that I like the most in Korea."To sum up their impressions, Ana chose the word "exciting," while Juanma answered "beautiful."Editor: Song SoomiCopy Editors: Ryu Hyoseung, Anton J. Mapoy

2025 Busan World Drone Festival will light up the night sky

source: visitbusanFrom Sept. 20 to 21, the North Port Waterfront Park (Chinsu Park) will light up the night sky –  not with stars but with drones. The 2025 Busan World Drone Festival, part of Festival Shiwol, will present spectacular performances under the theme “Together Toward Hope.” As Korea’s largest drone light show, teams from the United States, Vietnam, and China, recognized for their innovative use of drone technology, will compete through dazzling displays that transform the dark sky into a canvas of light. The two-night event begins at 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 20 with the Fireworks Drone Show. The 30-minute show will feature lasers, fireworks, and drones working together to create a spectacular display for audiences. The main competition begins at 7:40 p.m. on Sept. 21. The schedule for the evening is:- 7:40 – 7:55 p.m.: Opening ceremony & introduction of participating countries- 7:55 – 8:10 p.m.: U.S. Team drone performance- 8:10 – 8:30 p.m.: Vietnam Team drone performance- 8:30 – 8:50 p.m.: China Team drone performance After the final performance, audiences can select the most impressive show during a 15-minute online voting period. One hundred voters will be randomly chosen to receive Starbucks vouchers. Final rankings will be determined through a 50-50 combination of professional judges’ evaluations and audience vote.Admission is free, and everyone is invited to experience this fusion of technology and art that fills the night sky with vibrant motion and light. For more details, please visit the official website of the Busan World Drone Festival.Please note that the Busan Jazz Festival, a paid event, will be taking place simultaneously at the same venue, so expect large crowds. Parking is not available, so use public transit if possible.※ Busan World Drone Festival, Sept. 20 to 21◎ Website: www.bwdf.co.kr◎ North Port Waterfront Park (Chinsu Park): 164 Isunsin-daero, Dong-gu<Today's Vocabulary - 오늘의 단어>recognized for: ~로 알려진 innovative: 혁신적인 impressive: 인상깊은 judge: 심사위원 evaluation: 평가 vote: 투표 simultaneously: 동시에 Editor: Song SoomiCopy Editors: Ryu Hyoseung, Anton J. Mapoy