Meow-tain and Sea

Hello, everyone!  Saturdays are usually webtoon day, but this week there's a very special visitor in Busan that everyone's talking about, so I'm bringing you a special edition instead. Don't worry, the webtoon will be back next week! So who's this famous visitor? It's a shark named Bukangi , who swam into a canal at Bukhang Waterfront Park (북항 친수공원, also known as North Port Waterfront Park)! 📍 Who is Bukangi? Bukangi was first spotted in the park's canal on September 18. It's about 3 to 3.5 meters long and is believed to be a copper shark (also known as a bronze whaler), a species in the requiem shark family. The name comes from "Bukhang" (북항), which means "North Port," the area where the shark was found. In Korean, people often add "-i" to the end of a name to make it sound friendly and cute, a bit like turning "Bob" into "Bobby." So the Busan Facilities Corporation, which manages the park, named t...

  A Heavy Metal Legend Lands in Busan: The 2026 Busan International Rock Festival If you're a rock fan, there's one fall festival in Busan you absolutely can't miss — the Busan International Rock Festival , known as Korea's longest-running rock festival. Remember the imaginary trip Namu and Grandpa took by bicycle two posts ago? The reed fields, the lotus ponds, the sunset — that was Samnak Ecological Park, and it's exactly where this festival takes place. If you only knew it as a peaceful walking spot, it might come as a surprise that it transforms into a rock festival stage every fall. Samnak Ecological Park , Busan | Photo: Busan Tourism Organization (visitbusan.net) It's now less than ten days until the festival opens! Held every year at Samnak Ecological Park, this year's lineup is generating buzz that fully earns the word "unprecedented." What is the Busan International Rock Festival? It's the longest-running rock festival in Korea, ...

My cat Namu loves to sit by the yard or the window, watching birds. Even just a few sparrows are enough to make his eyes go wide as he watches them for ages. Seeing this, Halbae had a thought: "A cat who loves birds this much — imagine how happy he'd be somewhere with tons of them!" So this episode's imaginary adventure sends Namu and Halbae to Eulsukdo, Korea's largest migratory bird sanctuary. What Kind of Place Is Eulsukdo? Eulsukdo is an island at the mouth of the Nakdong River in Saha-gu, Busan, formed over centuries as soil and sand carried by the river settled and built up. It was once known as the largest migratory bird sanctuary in East Asia, and in 1966 it was designated a Natural Monument. Every year, from early November through early March, tens of thousands of migratory birds — mallards, whooper swans, bean geese, black-faced spoonbills, and more — arrive here from as far as Siberia. Right now (September), it's not quite peak season yet, but if ...

  A Special Cultural Journey Under the Autumn Moon — Dalmaji Culture Festa When people think of Haeundae, they usually picture the beach — but there's another spot that truly comes alive on a fall evening: Dalmaji-gil (Moon-Greeting Road) . True to its name, it's the hillside road where moonlight falls most beautifully, and starting last Saturday, it's become the stage for a hands-on cultural festival called the Dalmaji Culture Festa . It runs every Saturday through the end of November, so it's not too late to join even if you're just hearing about it now. This festival is designed with tourists in mind, so if you're planning a trip to Busan, it's worth reading closely. Dalmaji Hill, Haeundae , Busan | Photo: Busan Tourism Organization (visitbusan.net) What is the Dalmaji Culture Festa? It's a program that combines the night views of Haeundae's Dalmaji-gil with a variety of hands-on cultural experiences — pottery, perfume-making, leather crafti...

Grilled squid, grilled fish — it doesn't matter. Namu won't so much as glance at human food. No matter how good it smells, she won't set a paw on the table. About the most she'll do is sniff the air once while passing by. Whenever we sit down to eat, Namu usually heads for her own bowl, or if not that, she just stares out the window. Sitting across from Halbae at mealtime, I'll glance over and catch her looking anywhere but the table — so composed I sometimes wonder, "are you even a cat?" But the moment the meal ends and a water cup shows up on the table, everything changes. As soon as that cup lands on the table, Namu hops right up. She's so indifferent to human food, and yet so determined about that one cup — I still don't quite get it. Sometimes when the water's low and her tongue can't reach, she'll dip a paw straight into the cup to check. Watching her carefully stir the water around with that little paw is so cute that Halbae ca...

  Ten Days When Busan Becomes One Big Movie Theater: The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) We gave you a little preview last Saturday through Namu's imaginary visit — remember the story where Namu's eyes lit up under the Big Roof, surrounded by the red carpet and the crowds? Today, following up on that preview, here's a full rundown of the actual Busan International Film Festival. If you're spending fall in Busan, there's one event you simply can't miss — Asia's leading international film festival, the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) . It opens in exactly one month, so now's the perfect time to start planning. This year marks the 31st edition, and for ten days, the entire city of Busan turns into one giant theater. Cinema Center , Busan | Photo: Busan Tourism Organization (visitbusan.net) What exactly is the Busan International Film Festival? Founded in 1996, BIFF holds the top-tier accreditation from the International Federati...

Every October, Busan comes alive with movie fever — thanks to the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the largest film festival in Asia. Now in its 31st edition, the 2026 BIFF runs for ten days, from Tuesday, October 6th through Thursday, October 15th, centered around the Busan Cinema Center, with additional venues in Centum City and the BIFF Square in Nampo-dong. In an earlier post, we introduced the Cinema Center in detail — including its iconic " Big Roof. " Today's story picks up right where that left off, following Namu on an imaginary early visit to the upcoming festival. The real thing is still about a month away, but since this is an "imaginary adventure," we got a little head start. If you're planning to visit in October, think of this episode as your preview. Arriving beneath the Big Roof, Namu is once again awestruck by the sheer scale of the structure stretching overhead like a sky of its own. Before long, she notices something different i...

September's already here. The midday heat hasn't quite let go yet, but there's a little more coolness in the morning and evening air lately, which usually means fall is on its way. With that cooler weather in mind, I wanted to get ahead of the season and share a spot that's especially good once autumn settles in. I mentioned once before, when introducing Busan, that the city is now home to Korea's 24th national park, Geumjeongsan National Park. Today we're heading to the neighborhood right at its foot — Dongnae, one of the oldest and most historic corners of Busan. We'll cover Dongnaeeupseong Fortress, Geumgang Park, and Dongnae Hot Springs all as one day trip. ​ 📍 What is Dongnae? These days, "Busan" tends to bring to mind beaches like Haeundae or Gwangalli. But up through the Joseon dynasty, it was actually Dongnae — not "Busan" — that gave its name to this whole region. Dongnae served as the first line of defense against Japanes...

Our cat Namu has an obvious favorite — and it's Halbae (Grandpa). Like a "Dog Whisperer" or "Horse Whisperer," Halbae seems to have Namu completely figured out. He doesn't have that magic touch with other cats, but Namu alone hangs on his every word and turns into the gentlest little lamb whenever he's around. Halbae really might be the true Namu Whisperer. The evidence is everywhere. Even a simple churu treat gets a different reaction depending on who's holding it. When my mom (Halmae) or I give her one, Namu eats it standing up — one bite, and she's already halfway to walking away, like she's just grabbing a quick snack before heading off. But when Halbae offers her a churu? She goes straight to his usual spot, sits down, and settles in like she's planning to stay a while. Calling her works the same way. When I call "Namu!" or Halmae calls "Namu~," she barely reacts. But when Halbae calls her? No matter what sh...

The Ridge Where Busan Shines Silver in Autumn When the mornings and evenings start carrying that first cool breeze, you just know the season is turning, don't you? It's still warm out, but with autumn on its way, I wanted to get ahead of it and introduce a spot that's absolutely worth the trip once the season turns. Did you know Busan has a mountain that turns silver every fall? Meet Seunghaksan, straddling Saha-gu and Sasang-gu, and in particular the wide silver grass fields spread out near its summit. It's rare to find a ridge this open and breezy so close to the city center, which is exactly why locals keep coming back every autumn. ​ 📍 What is Seunghaksan? Seunghaksan stands 496 meters above sea level, straddling Dangni-dong in Saha-gu and Eomgung-dong in Sasang-gu. It's often known simply as "the mountain behind Dong-A University," and it connects to Gudeoksan and Siyaksan to the east and Eomgwangsan to the north. There's a nice bit of le...

Our Imaginary Adventure series started with Halbae's wish to explore Busan together with Namu, and so far we've wandered through mountains, the sea, and bustling markets. This time, I wanted to show that Busan isn't just about mountains and coastline — it has a beautiful river too. So this trip takes us to Samnak Ecological Park, one of Busan's favorite riverside escapes, where we cycle along the Nakdong River, pass through reeds, lotus ponds, and cosmos fields, and end the day watching the sunset. Samnak felt like the perfect fit for Namu. Most of our imaginary destinations so far have been lively, crowded spots, but this one is quieter — a stretch of riverbank still close to nature. At home Namu is calm and composed, but out in the yard she perks right up, tail twitching the moment she spots a bug or a lizard. With its reed beds, wetlands, ponds, and even a protected habitat for the endangered Boreal Digging Frog, I couldn't help but imagine how wild she'd g...

The temperatures have noticeably cooled down this week, haven't they? The heat that dominated all summer finally seems to be easing off. On weather like this, instead of jumping into the water for a swim, I found myself thinking a slow ride on the cable car over the sea sounded even better — no getting wet, just the breeze and an unobstructed view of the water. Today I want to introduce the Songdo Sky Cable Car in Busan's Seo-gu district, along with a few nearby spots worth pairing it with. The Songdo Sky Cable Car connects Songdo Base Station at Songdo Beach with Songdo Sky Park near Amnam Park. It first opened in 1964 as Korea's first sea-crossing cable car, closed in 1988 due to aging equipment, and reopened at a new site in 2017. Today it's considered one of Songdo's four major attractions, alongside the Skywalk, coastal walking trail, and the Yonggung Cloud Bridge. Once you're up, you get a sweeping view of Songdo Beach, Yeongdo Bridge, Namhang Bridge, an...