Haeundae Beach

Haeundae Beach

Haeundae Beach (Korean: 해운대해수욕장; RR: Haeundae haesuyogjang) is a beach located in Busan, South Korea, and is often considered one of Korea's most famous and beautiful beaches. Haeundae Beach, which is 1.5km long, is located in the Eastern part of Busan, in the Haeundae District. It is accessible from Haeundae Station on Line 2, and it takes approximately 40 minutes to reach the beach aby subway from Busan Station in the city's historic area, and less than one hour from Gimhae International Airport.

Haeundae Beach is often considered Busan and South Korea's, along with Gwangalli Beach (Busan), Gyeongpo Beach (Gangneung) or Hyeopjae Beach (Jeju City). Due to its length, beauty, and because of its easy access from downtown Busan, the beach is busy year-round, and holds numerous festivals. Haeundae is also closely associated with cinema, as it partly hosts the Busan International Film Festival, and was featured prominently in the 2009 disaster movie Tidal Wave.

The beach is popular with Korean tourists, although it has recently seen an afflux or foreign tourists, from China, Japan and Western countries. The beach and surrounding area is particularly crowded during the summer months of July and August. Amongst the sights of Haeundae are Dongbaekseom, at the West end of the beach, which is a popular fishing area. Oryukdo, a group of small islets East of the beach, are also considered a symbol of Busan. The neighborhood surrounding Haeundae is home to most of Busan's expatriate population.

There are many beach-related cultural events in Haeundae. Along with Geumjeongsan and Dalmajigogae, Haeundae is one of the most popular spots in Busan to view the New Year sunrise, a popular tradition in Korea. In addition, the "Polar Bear Club", a popular beach event during which participants bathe in near 0°C water, is held annually since 1988 in January in from of the Chosun Beach Hotel.

Due to its fame, Haeundae is considered one of the most expensive areas in Korea, and the most expensive outside of the Seoul Capital Area. This has led to numerous urban development projects near Haeundae Beach and the nearby Marine City, including supertall skyscrapers such as Haeundae Doosan We've the Zenith and Haeundae LCT The Sharp.