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| Songdo Marine Cable Cars are seen behind a statue of a young fisherman in Busan, last Friday. Busan's legend says the area was a background for a sad unfulfilled love between a young fisherman and a daughter of the Dragon King. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
By Lee Hae-rin
Korea's southeastern port city of Busan is in a race against Riyadh, Odesa and Rome to win the bid to host the World Expo 2030.
However, Busan is more than just a candidate city for the global exhibition, offering several tourist attractions that bring messages of peace and sustainable life with nature and also carry on the region's historical legacy.
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| The U.N. flag flies at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Korea in Busan in this provided photo taken in 2022. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan Government |
UN Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK)
The U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK) in Busan's southern Nam District is the one and only U.N. memorial cemetery in the world and it carries on the wartime legacy of the port city.
At the outbreak of the Korean War on June 25, 1950, the U.N. Security Council convened a meeting two days later and dispatched troops to South Korea. A total of 22 countries volunteered to help South Korea under the U.N. flag in the three-year-long war, during which 40,896 U.N. forces from 17 countries died.
To honor their wartime sacrifice, South Korea's National Assembly suggested in November 1955 permanently donating the territory to be used as a cemetery. The 135,000-square-meter cemetery was established when the U.N. General Assembly resolution passed the following month.
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| U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Korea, Busan / Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan Government |
Today, 2,300 fallen U.N. troops from 11 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey and Belgium who agreed to remain in Busan, are buried here. The other 8,700 who were originally buried have been repatriated to their home countries.
Around 300,000 people visit the memorial cemetery every year with hopes for peace and in condolence for the troops' sacrifice.
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| Visitors walk along the estuary of the Nakdong River at Eulsukdo Island Ecological Park in Busan's western Saha District, Monday. The park was built on a former garbage landfill site as a migratory bird sanctuary by the city government in 2005. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
Eulsukdo Island Ecological Park
Eulsukdo Island Ecological Park in Busan's western Saha District is a migratory bird sanctuary that was built on the site of a former garbage landfill.
The estuary, where Korea's longest river, the 525.15-kilometer-long Nakdong River originating from Gangwon Province, meets the sea, was originally renowned for its fertile soil and rich biodiversity. Eulsuk Island, its name meaning "abundance of birds" (eul) and "clean water" (suk), is located along a bird migration route and serves as a sanctuary for birds in Korea.
However, the bird population in Busan dropped sharply in the 1990s after the construction of a landfill and a waste treatment plant.
In response, Busan Metropolitan City launched a restoration project in 2005 to build an ecological park on 1.9 million square meters of land, 37.8 times the size of the city's Sajik Baseball Stadium.
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| Birds swim along the estuary of Nakdong River at Eulsukdo Island Ecological Park in Busan, Monday. Eulsuk Island, its name meaning "abundance of birds in clear water," is located along a bird migration route and serves as a sanctuary for birds. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
Since then, the migratory bird population in Busan slowly recovered from 36,198 birds of 47 species in 1999 to 55,185 of 112 species in 2012, according to the Ministry of Environment's National Institute of Biological Resources. As of last year, over 70,000 birds of 117 species were found in the city.
The ecological park also houses the Busan Wildlife Center, which rescues, cures, and rehabilitates injured wild animals around the city.
Today, the park is frequented by Busan citizens and domestic travelers for birdwatching, spring picnics and ecology education. It is also home to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), outdoor theater and culture and sports, hosting concerts, cultural events and programs on nature.
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| Songdo Marine Cable Cars move above Busan's Songdo Beach, last Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
Songdo Marine Cable Car
Songdo Marine Cable Car at Busan's Songdo Beach is a modern and renewed version of the nation's very first cable car that was launched in April 1964.
Also known as Busan Air Cruise, it is located along the country's historic Songdo Beach, which is the country's first publicly managed beach facility that opened in 1913 and became a national sensation. It was one of the most popular honeymoon and field trip destinations during the 1960s and 1970s.
However, the Songdo area lost visitors in the 1980s due to the tourist district's overdevelopment and damage from the 1987 tropical storm Selma. The area became even more derelict after super typhoon Maemi hit in 2003.
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| Korea's first cable car, launched in 1964 at Songdo Beach in Busan / Courtesy of Local Travel Lab |
To regain the attraction's old fame, the cable car system was restored as part of the coastal improvement project and Songdo Beach regeneration project in 2013 in celebration of the beach's 100th anniversary.
Today, the 1.62-kilometer-long cable car ride has panoramic ocean and city views from heights of up to 86 meters. The ride may give passengers goosebumps but safety is guaranteed with cutting-edge technology. The cable car is designed to endure earthquakes up to magnitude 7 intensity, while its rope positioning detector constantly monitors the cable cars' movements and slows down or pauses operation in case of abnormalities.
Visitors may even enjoy the 15-minute ride with their favorite tune, as the cable cars are equipped with Bluetooth speakers that can connect to mobile phones.
After getting off the cable car on the other side of Songdo Beach, visitors can see several attractions and photo zones on offer.
The dinosaur-themed park Dino Adventure at the observatory gives glimpses of Jurassic Park with realistic dinosaur models built to celebrate the discovery of dinosaur remains from 70 million years ago at the Busan National Geopark.
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| Songdo pedestrian overpass in Busan / Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan Government |
Also, within a five-minute walk from the observatory is Songdo pedestrian overpass, an homage and upgraded version of Songdo's suspension bridge from 1965, which turned derelict and closed down in 2002.
The history of the beach and its marine cable cars is exhibited in the observatory's basement museum, where a four-seater vintage cable car that operated in 1972 is displayed.
