Sunshine in Busan | East Asia Winter Exploration 2025/26 [7/8]

Having spent our first afternoon in Busan looking out over the bustling harbor from rooftop gardens, we were eager to explore the city at ground level. Busan is a fascinating metropolis where dense urban development is aggressively squeezed between towering mountains and a rugged, expansive coastline. Unlike the rigid, grid-like efficiency of Seoul or Osaka, Busan’s geography forces the city to sprawl organically, creating distinct neighborhoods separated by steep hills and massive suspension bridges.

For the next two days, our itinerary would heavily lean into this unique geography. We planned to contrast the hyper-modern commercial centers—including the world’s largest department store and robot-staffed restaurants—with the natural beauty of the city’s dramatic shoreline. This leg of the journey would test our legs on steep coastal trails, allow Susann to continue her international running challenge, and finally bring a successful end to a highly specific, weeks-long hunt for K-pop themed instant noodles that Little A had been searching for since we left Sweden. It would also prove that we could safely trust our own judgment over the overly cautious warnings of a local tourist office.

Gwangalli Beach and the World’s Largest Store

On the morning of January 5, we took a taxi across the city to Gwangalli Beach. The bright sunshine made for a beautiful walk along the sandy shore, though the brisk January temperatures reminded us that it was indeed the middle of winter. Stretching across the bay right in front of the beach is the impressive Gwangan Bridge, also known as the Diamond Bridge. Completed in 2002, it is the second-longest bridge in South Korea, and its massive suspension cables form a striking backdrop against the ocean horizon.

We continued our walk along the coast, passing through Millak Waterside Park until we reached the massive Shinsegae Centum City complex. Registered in the Guinness World Records as the largest department store in the world, the sheer scale of the building is difficult to comprehend until you are standing inside it. We decided to stop here for lunch and found an Italian restaurant. In a fun, distinctly modern twist, our food was actually brought to our table by an automated serving robot, which was an entertaining novelty for us all.

The Coastal Railway and a Cinema Visit

After lunch, we caught another taxi to Mipo Station, located at the eastern edge of Haeundae Beach. After walking along the famous beach for a bit, we followed the coastal promenade that runs parallel to a scenic tourist train line. This route is part of the Haeundae Blueline Park, an eco-friendly redevelopment built along the decommissioned Donghae Nambu railway line. The path offers uninterrupted views of the sea, and we walked all the way out to the Haewol Observatory before turning back. Opened in mid-2024, this crescent-shaped skywalk extends directly out over the crashing waves, offering an excellent modern vantage point of the coastline.

From Haeundae Beach, we took a taxi back into the bustling heart of the city to Seomyeon, specifically heading to the LOTTE Department Store Busan Main. After a pleasant dinner in the area, we decided on a spontaneous evening activity: going to the cinema to see the animated movie Zootropolis 2. Going to the movies in a foreign country is always a fun cultural experience in itself. Fortunately, the theater was showing the original English audio version, making it an easy and relaxing watch for the whole family. We ended the evening with a subway ride back toward our hotel and a short, cold walk over the bridge back to Yeongdo Island.

Ignoring Advice on the Igidae Coastal Trail

The following morning, January 6, began with a taxi ride to the Oryukdo Skywalk. Here, a glass-bottomed viewing platform extends dramatically over the coastal cliffs, offering fantastic views of the small, rocky Oryukdo islands off the coast. After taking in the scenery, we spoke with the staff at the tourist information center regarding our plan to hike the adjacent coastal path. The staff strongly advised us against attempting it, warning that the terrain would be far too demanding for an eight-year-old.

Knowing our family’s actual capabilities, we respectfully ignored their advice and set off on the Igidae Coastal Trail anyway. It turned out to be an incredibly rewarding decision. The trail traces volcanic cliffs that were formed 80 million years ago and was actually a restricted military zone until it was opened to the public in 1993. Was it too advanced for an eight-year-old? Absolutely not. Little A had an abundance of energy throughout the hike. The trail’s many wooden stairs and wobbly suspension bridges provided a fun, engaging challenge for all of us, and while it took its time to walk, the sweeping views of the ocean made every step entirely worth it.

Parks, Running Goals, and Terrible Noodles

Once we finished the coastal trail, we caught a taxi back to Seomyeon for a well-earned hamburger lunch. From there, we walked through the bustling aisles of Bujeon Market and past Bujeon Station until we reached Busan Citizens Park. The history of this massive urban green space is quite fascinating; it served as an Imperial Japanese army base and later as a US military base (Camp Hialeah) for decades before finally being returned to the city and opened as a public park in 2014.

This flat, expansive park was the perfect location for Susann to continue her athletic challenge. She has set a goal to run in ten different countries during the year 2026. While Little A and I took a leisurely walk around the park’s paved paths, Susann headed out for a jog, officially ticking off South Korea as country number two, just six days into the new year, following her run in Japan.

As darkness began to fall, we navigated back to the Nampo and Gwangbok area near our hotel. It was here that we finally achieved a major, highly specific goal: we found the three unique flavors of K-pop Demon Hunters themed ramyun that Little A had been searching for during the entire trip. The flavors were named “Zoey’s Hamburger,” “Mira’s Spicy Queen,” and “Rumi’s Superstar”. Unfortunately, the victory was short-lived; upon taste-testing them, we discovered that all three tasted absolutely horrible. Despite the fun packaging, I will confidently stick to my preferred Shin Ramyun—which, incidentally, also features a Demon Hunters theme, but actually tastes good.

With our coastal hikes completed and our novelty noodle curiosity thoroughly satisfied (and slightly regretted), we packed our bags one last time in Busan. The next morning would bring a domestic flight back to Seoul for the final leg of our winter journey.