Haeundae is a 1.5km beach on Busan's eastern coast and the most visited summer beach in Korea. The name comes from Choi Chi-won, a scholar of the Unified Silla era, who is said to have carved the characters 'Haeundae' into the cliffs of nearby Dongbaekseom.
In peak summer the sand fills with rows of colorful parasols, but Haeundae is really a year-round destination. At night the lights of Marine City and Gwangan Bridge reflect off the water for a lovely seaside walk, and cafes, raw-fish restaurants, and street-food tents line the shore.
At the western end, Dongbaekseom — now a small hill joined to the mainland — has a well-built coastal boardwalk. Passing Nurimaru APEC House and a lighthouse, you get a head-on view of Gwangan Bridge. To the east, the Haeundae Blueline Park beach train and Sky Capsule run along old rail tracks from Mipo to Cheongsapo.
It's a 5-minute walk from Haeundae Station (Busan Metro Line 2) to the sand. The Busan Sea Festival is held here each summer, and the Polar Bear Swim in winter.