Dongbaekseom Island

Where the sand of Haeundae Beach ends, a small hill thick with pines and camellias juts out into the sea. Dongbaekseom was once an island, but soil and sand carried down by the neighbouring Chuncheoncheon stream gradually joined it to the mainland, creating a tied island. It is still called an island, and the coastal walk around it has become a standard part of any Haeundae visit.

Name and history

The name comes from the camellias (dongbaek) that turn the island red in bloom. Many islands on Korea's south coast share the name, but this one is special because of Choe Chi-won, the late-Silla scholar. Tradition says that on his way to Gayasan he was so taken with the view that he carved the characters "Haeundae" (海雲臺) into a rock here, giving the district its name. It has never been proven that the writing is his, but the inscription already appears in a Goryeo-era poem.

Dongbaekseom was designated a Busan monument in 1999, on the same day as the Haeundae inscription. In 2005 the APEC summit was held at the Nurimaru APEC House at the island's southern tip, and in 2019 it hosted the Korea–ASEAN Commemorative Summit.

What to see

• The coastal walk: a loop around the island, rising and falling between rocky shore and pine woods, with a small suspension bridge and a lighthouse viewing deck along the way.
• Haeundae inscription: carved into the top of a small rock; wind and waves have worn the character "un" (cloud) almost away.
• Mermaid statue: a figure on a seaside rock, based on the legend of Princess Hwangok.
• Choe Chi-won statue and memorial: on the hill in the middle of the island.
• Nurimaru APEC House: a conference hall that reinterprets a traditional pavilion in modern form. The third-floor summit room is preserved as it was, with the desks and chairs used by the leaders of 21 economies.
• Views: Gwangan Bridge, the Oryukdo islets, Dalmaji Hill and the full sweep of Haeundae Beach.

Good to know

The Goryeo official Jeong Po wrote a poem about the Haeundae inscription saying, in effect, that the terrace had fallen to ruin and only the name "Haeun" remained, so even then the carved rock was all that was left. The name Nurimaru was chosen in a public contest: "nuri" means the world and "maru" the summit, so it is "the house where the world's leaders meet". Haeundae Beach starts right next to the island, so a beach walk follows naturally.

Tripto tips

• Cost and hours: the island walk is free and open 24 hours, and parking is listed as free. Check Nurimaru's opening hours and event schedule separately.
• Time needed: 40 minutes to an hour for the loop.
• Best time: camellias bloom from winter into spring. At sunset the sky over Gwangan Bridge glows, and after dark the bridge is lit up.
• Good to know: parts of the shore are a military protection zone, so you cannot reach the water everywhere. The rocks are slippery when waves are high.
• Getting there: walk from Dongbaek Station or Haeundae Station on Busan Metro Line 2, or simply follow Haeundae Beach to its western end.