Igidae Park

Igidae Park lines the coast of Yongho-dong in Busan's Nam-gu district, where the slopes of Jangsanbong drop into the sea in strangely shaped cliffs and broad rock shelves. On the coastal trail you see Gwangan Bridge and Haeundae on one side and the Oryukdo islets on the other, which makes it one of the closest walks to the open sea in Busan. Because the area was off limits to civilians for decades, the rocky shore has stayed largely untouched.

The story behind the name

Igidae means "the terrace of two gisaeng" (female entertainers). A late-Joseon record of Dongnae notes that the graves of two gisaeng lay 15 li south of Suyeong, hence the name. A local legend tells a different story: during the Japanese invasions of the 1590s, after Japanese troops took the nearby Gyeongsang Left Naval Command fortress and held a victory feast here, a gisaeng got the enemy commander drunk and leapt into the sea with him. Some therefore argue the name should be Uigidae, "the terrace of the righteous gisaeng". Either way, record and legend overlap in the name.

From military zone to park

For many years the Igidae area was a military operations zone closed to civilians. It opened to the public in 1993, and the decades without development left the woods dense and the coastal ecosystem in good shape. The waters offshore are a marine protected area where damaging the ecosystem is prohibited, and the clear water attracts plenty of anglers.

Eighty million years in the rocks

The rocks here are andesitic volcanic rock and tuff formed by volcanic activity about 80–70 million years ago. Waves have carved sea caves and round potholes into the rock along the shore, and the coast is a designated site of the Busan National Geopark. Many rocks are named after their shapes; the best known is Nongbawi.

Walking the coastal trail

The trail runs Dongsaengmal → Eoulmadang → Nongbawi → Oryukdo Sunrise Park. It is about 4.7 km long (some sources say about 3.95 km) and takes 2 to 2.5 hours.

• Dongsaengmal and the suspension bridge: along the way, Gwangan Bridge, the Marine City towers, Dongbaek Island and Haeundae come into view one after another. A suspension bridge crosses the path between Dongsaengmal and Eoulmadang.
• Eoulmadang: a sunrise spot and a filming location for the film Haeundae (released in English as Tidal Wave). In May 2025 a 480 m barrier-free path through the pine woods opened at its entrance, easy going for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
• Nongbawi: Igidae's most famous rock formation, after which the path heads on towards Oryukdo.
• Oryukdo Sunrise Park: the end of the trail, with the glass-floored Oryukdo Skywalk.

Tripto tips

• Access: open all year round, free of charge. Some sections close during typhoons or heavy rain, so avoid stormy days.
• On foot: parts of the trail climb steps and slopes, so wear trainers. It is a long walk, so bring water and snacks and take it slowly.
• Best time: early morning for sunrise at Eoulmadang, a clear afternoon for views of Gwangan Bridge and Haeundae.
• Getting there: take Busan Metro Line 2 to Kyungsung Univ.·Pukyong Nat'l Univ. Station, then city bus 20, 22, 24, 27, 39 or 131, or the local Nam-gu 2 or Nam-gu 8 bus. There is a paid public car park at Igidae.
• Easy route: start at Dongsaengmal and finish at the Oryukdo end, so you can add the Oryukdo Skywalk at the close of the walk.