On the edge of the Yellow Sea, Busan is quietly rewriting its place in the world's imagination. In the first half of 2026, the port city drew 2.42 million foreign visitors — a 44 percent leap that speaks not merely to the pull of a single concert, but to the slow accumulation of a city finding its cultural voice. From Taipei to Paris to New York, travelers are arriving with intention, suggesting that what is unfolding in Busan is less a moment than a turning point.
BTS concert fuels record tourism surge in Busan with 2.42M visitors in first half
Culture & Arts