Yeongdo Bridge

At first glance Yeongdo Bridge, linking Nampo-dong with Yeongdo island in Busan, looks like any city bridge, but at set times its landward span slowly tilts up into the sky. Opened in 1934, it was Korea's first bridge connecting an island to the mainland, and it is the only single-leaf bascule bridge still standing in the country. During the Korean War, refugees told each other "meet me at Yeongdo Bridge" and waited here for lost relatives.

History: from city landmark to refugees' bridge

Construction began in March 1932 and the bridge opened in November 1934. It is 214.7 m long and 18.3 m wide, and was originally called Busan Bridge. About 60,000 people from Busan and nearby towns such as Gimhae and Miryang are said to have come on opening day to watch the deck rise to let ships through. At first it was raised six times a day.

During the Korean War the bridge became a symbol of Busan. People separated from their families on the road south gathered here, hoping to find them again, and fortune tellers set up shop nearby to hear their stories. In September 1966 the lifting stopped because of growing traffic, and when the new Busandaegyo opened in 1980, this bridge took the name Yeongdo Bridge.

The ageing bridge was nearly demolished, but in 2006 it was designated a Busan monument. It was dismantled and rebuilt, reopening on 27 November 2013 with six lanes and a working lifting span once again.

What to see

• The lift: The moving span is 31.3 m long and weighs about 590 tonnes; it rises to 75 degrees in just over two minutes. Watching ships pass under the raised deck is the highlight.
• Bridge-head plaza and abutments: Finely dressed granite laid in even courses, stone stairs and gate pillars show the craftsmanship of a modern-era bridge.
• Fortune-tellers' alley and Hyun In monument: On the Nampo side, a small space recalls the wartime fortune-tellers' alley, and a monument honours singer Hyun In, whose song "Be Strong, Geumsun" captured the refugees' hardship.

Good to know

• When it opened, the bridge could be raised at two speeds: fast (about 1 minute 30 seconds) or slow (about 4 minutes). From 1935 trams also ran across it.
• A popular song about the bridge came out in 1958, and it appears in the film Friend (Chingu). Locals still affectionately call it Yeongdo Dari, "the Yeongdo bridge".
• Unlike most bascule bridges, its lifting machinery is housed in the quay wall, which makes it an important piece of evidence for the history of modern bridge-building in Korea.

Tripto tips

• Lifting event: Normally the bridge is raised every Saturday from 14:00 for 15 minutes. However, Busan Infrastructure Corporation found signs of a fault in the lifting machinery and suspended the event from 10 October 2026. Check the corporation's notices for the restart date. In August 2026 it also held night lifts on Saturdays at 20:00.
• Where to watch: Yurari Plaza on the Nampo side of the bridge is the usual viewing spot. Bad weather can cancel the event.
• Getting there: Walk from Nampo Station on Busan Metro Line 1. There is no parking around the bridge on event days, so use public transport.
• How long: 30 minutes to an hour to walk across and look around. Jagalchi Market is close by.