Train to Busan

Guest post by Daniel Lee, a senior at Foster studying Finance and IS, who participated in an exchange with Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.

In my final week in Korea, some friends and I decided that we needed to make a trip down to Busan before we left for home. We bought KTX tickets leaving at 10 AM and planned to return at 5 AM the following day, leaving us with 15 hours to make the most of Busan, the second largest city in South Korea. When we arrived we first set out to Haeundae, heading toward our first major stop, Haedong Yonggungsa. This temple is one of few that sits right by the sea and is truly an amazing spot to take in the Korean coastline.

After, we headed back toward the heart of Busan, stopping at the Jagalchi Fish market and the Gamcheon Cultural Village. By the time we got to the village the sun had almost completely set, but it left us with a stunning view of the village illuminated by the orange glow of the streetlights painted against the colorful shades of the houses. Be careful being there around nighttime though, as locals actually live there and aren’t too happy to be disturbed by tourists past sunset.

As it got later, we found ourselves wandering around Haeundae in search of a place to wait out the night. Instead of trying to figure out Busan’s nightlife, which we heard is on par with Seoul’s, we decided to search for a 24-hour jjimjilbang (Korean Spa) to rest our worn-out bodies. Getting lost on our way to the spa made the hot bath feel a hundred times more soothing and revitalizing after a long day. To cap it all off they had an outdoor bath with a view looking out over the Busan coast, soaking there was truly a fantastic way to close out our short trip to Busan.