Taiwanese Visits to Busan Jump 60.5% to 718,000 in Eight Months
Taiwanese visitors to Busan reached 718,313 in January–August, up 60.5% from a year earlier. That is almost level with China (719,260), so roughly one in five foreign visitors to Busan is now from Taiwan.
Taiwan and China, side by side
Busan received 3,434,620 foreign visitors over the same period, up 45.9% and about double the national growth rate of 21.6%.
China accounts for 719,260 (up 88.2%) and Taiwan for 718,313 (up 60.5%), each about 20.9% of the total.
The month Gimhae beat Incheon
In August, 38.7% of Taiwanese arrivals in Korea came in through Gimhae Airport against 37.0% through Incheon, the first month Gimhae has come out ahead. Over January–August Incheon still leads, 39.9% to 34.3%.
That month saw 906 Taipei–Gimhae flights, 186 from Kaohsiung and 88 from Taichung. Reports say more Taiwanese now fly straight to Busan instead of passing through Seoul.
What 'Busan-byeong' means
Posts from Taiwan, China and Japan say travellers have 'caught Busan-byeong' after a trip. The phrase follows the earlier 'Seoul-byeong', missing Seoul; one quoted post reads 'Busan-sick within a week of coming back'.
It isn't an illness. It means wanting to go back.
Two Busan dates this month
The Busan Mackerel Festival runs at Songdo Beach from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, free to enter with paid activities.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, the Busan Fireworks Festival lights up Gwangalli; paid seats are 100,000 won (R) and 70,000 won (S).
Sources & context
2026-10-21T04:55:21.062Z
JoongAng Economy News (Oct. 13, 2026) ↗Busan Ilbo (Oct. 8, 2026) ↗Newspim (Oct. 8, 2026) ↗NewsTravel (Oct. 6, 2026) ↗Newsis (Jul. 23, 2026) ↗Busan Mackerel Festival official site ↗Busan Fireworks Festival official site ↗Wikimedia Commons ↗Wikimedia Commons ↗Photo credit
부산광역시 (Wikimedia Commons) · KOGL Type 1Haeundae Beach and the Haeundae high-rises, with Gwangan Bridge in the distance (September 2024; a general view). Busan Metropolitan City / KOGL Type 1.
Photo credit
lumoplank (Wikimedia Commons) · CC0 1.0Gwangan Bridge lit up at night, seen from Gwangalli Beach (taken in or before 2024; a general view). lumoplank / CC0.