부산 - Busan

As much as I loved Seoul, Cheonan, and Jeju, it was Busan that stole a piece of my heart. Some places just feel right, like they recognize you, like they’ve been waiting for you to arrive. Every city has its own rhythm, its own pulse, and when that energy aligns with yours, you know it instantly. Busan was that place for me.

If Jeju looked like Hawaii, Busan felt like Waikiki—massive, gleaming skyscrapers casting neon reflections onto white sand beaches, the scent of salt and grilled seafood hanging in the humid air. It’s a city shaped by migration—locals whose families have been here for generations, alongside those who ran from the war and the children of those who stayed. It’s one of the largest shipping ports in East Asia, a city that moves, a city that works. It’s also the hometown of two BTS members, something the locals are fiercely proud of, as if their success is a reflection of the city itself—gritty, electric, unstoppable.

Busan is old and new, ancient and futuristic, a contradiction that somehow makes perfect sense. It’s vibrant, chaotic, alive. It’s a city that doesn’t ask you to love it—it just knows you will. And I did. I hope I get to go back again someday.