Busan’s top tourist spots are seeing a sharp increase in visitors this summer, with analysts pointing to the global popularity of the K-pop-themed animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters as a key driver of renewed interest in Korean culture.
According to Saha-gu, Gamcheon Culture Village attracted 187,935 visitors from July 1 to 22, a 19% rise from the same period last year. Compared to the same period in 2019, the year with Busan’s highest annual tourist record, the number is up 12%, marking the fastest growth for the second half of the year.
Haeundae Beach and Gwangalli Beach also saw significant spikes, with 1.6 million and 1 million visitors, respectively, each showing a 24% year-over-year increase.
Fueling the tourism boom is the success of K-Pop Demon Hunters on Netflix. The film, featuring Korean cultural elements like tteokbokki, kimbap, and traditional folk art, has topped global streaming charts and sparked sales of themed merchandise.
In response, Gamcheon Culture Village launched folk painting exhibits and souvenir sales, with foreign interest driving a threefold increase in sales over last year.
