Busan emerging as Asia's next coastal destination: CNN

Busan is gaining international attention as an Asian coastal destination, with new developments near North Port expected to strengthen its appeal to visitors. CNN described the city as distinct from Seoul and highlighted its shift from a major port into a design-driven city. The Busan Lotte Tower is under construction, and the Busan Opera House is scheduled to open in late 2027. Expedia and Airbnb have also included Busan among destinations to watch.

The Busan Lotte Tower is being built on the former Busan City Hall site, about 500 meters from Jagalchi Market.

CNN said the completed tower will house luxury retail outlets, offices and at least one luxury hotel.

The Busan Opera House was designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta and is set to open at the North Port waterfront park in late 2027.

Expedia cited a 50 percent year-on-year increase in searches for Busan when including it on its list of destinations to visit in 2027.

Airbnb named Busan one of its destinations to watch this year, CNN reported.

Published Oct 23, 2026 6:12 pm KST

The North Port landmark site in Dong District, Busan / Courtesy of Busan Dong District Office

Busan is emerging as a next-generation coastal destination in Asia as international interest in the Korean city grows, according to a recent foreign media report. The development of the Busan Lotte Tower and the Busan Opera House near the city's North Port is expected to further boost its appeal as a tourist destination.

CNN highlighted the city's transformation in a travel article published Thursday titled "How the world's largest port city is becoming Asia's next coastal destination."

"Busan, Korea's second-largest city, has been making big changes to establish itself as a destination in its own right, rather than simply a place to visit alongside other travel destinations," CNN said.

The report stressed that Busan is not simply a "miniature version" of Seoul.

"If Seoul is New York, Busan is Los Angeles," CNN said, describing the city as "younger, cooler and less stressful."

CNN also pointed to Busan's transformation from a "world's largest port city" into a "design-driven city."

A prime example is the Busan Lotte Tower, which is being built on the site of the former Busan City Hall, about 500 meters from Jagalchi Market. Once completed, the tower will house luxury retail outlets, offices and at least one luxury hotel, CNN said.

The Busan Opera House, set to open at the North Port waterfront park in late 2027, is also expected to draw attention. The project was designed by Snøhetta, the renowned Norwegian architecture firm.

Growing international demand for Busan is also reflected in travel industry data.

Expedia included Busan on its list of destinations to visit in 2027, citing a 50 percent year-on-year increase in searches for the city. Airbnb also named Busan one of its destinations to watch this year, CNN reported.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

釜山作为亚洲沿海旅游胜地正日益受到国际关注，北港附近的新开发项目预计将进一步提升其对游客的吸引力。CNN指出，釜山与首尔截然不同，并强调了其从主要港口城市向设计驱动型城市的转型。釜山乐天塔正在建设中，釜山歌剧院计划于2027年底开放。Expedia和Airbnb也将釜山列入值得关注的旅游目的地名单。

釜山乐天大厦建于原釜山市政厅旧址上，距离札嘎其市场约500米。

CNN报道称，建成后的大楼将容纳奢侈品零售店、办公场所和至少一家豪华酒店。

釜山歌剧院由挪威建筑事务所Snøhetta设计，预计将于2027年底在北港海滨公园开放。

Expedia 在其 2027 年旅游目的地列表中提到，釜山的搜索量同比增长了 50%。

据 CNN 报道，Airbnb 将釜山列为今年值得关注的目的地之一。

发布于2026年10月23日 下午6:12（韩国标准时间）

釜山东区北港地标建筑 / 图片由釜山东区办事处提供

据近期外媒报道，随着国际社会对韩国釜山的兴趣日益浓厚，釜山正崛起为亚洲新一代沿海旅游目的地。釜山乐天塔和釜山歌剧院位于釜山北港附近，它们的建设预计将进一步提升釜山的旅游吸引力。

CNN在周四发表的一篇题​​为“世界最大港口城市如何成为亚洲下一个沿海旅游目的地”的旅游文章中重点介绍了这座城市的转变。

“韩国第二大城市釜山一直在进行重大变革，力图将自己打造成为一个独立的旅游目的地，而不仅仅是与其他旅游目的地一起游览的地方，”美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）报道说。

报告强调，釜山并非只是首尔的“迷你版”。

“如果首尔是纽约，那么釜山就是洛杉矶，”美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）这样形容这座城市，称其“更年轻、更酷、压力更小”。

CNN 还指出，釜山已经从“世界最大的港口城市”转变为“设计驱动型城市”。

釜山乐天大厦就是一个典型的例子。这座大厦建在原釜山市政厅的旧址上，距离札嘎其市场约500米。据CNN报道，大厦建成后将容纳奢侈品零售店、办公楼和至少一家豪华酒店。

釜山歌剧院预计将于2027年底在北港滨水公园开幕，届时也将吸引众多目光。该项目由挪威著名建筑事务所Snøhetta设计。

釜山日益增长的国际需求也反映在旅游业数据中。

Expedia 将釜山列入 2027 年值得前往的目的地名单，理由是该市的搜索量同比增长了 50%。据 CNN 报道，Airbnb 也将釜山列为今年值得关注的目的地之一。

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。