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Busan's overview
Busan, a bustling city of approximately 3.7 million residents, is located on the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula.
Busan¡¯s stunning natural environment is a harmonious blend of mountains, rivers and the sea. Its geography includes a coastline that has both superb beaches and scenic cliffs in abundance, mountains which provide excellent hiking and extraordinary views, and hot springs scattered throughout the city.
Busan enjoys four distinct seasons and a temperate climate that never gets too hot or too cold. Busan is becoming increasingly known and respected as an exhibition and convention destination.
Following the successful hosting of major international events such as the 2005 APEC Leader's Meeting, 2006 14th ILO Asian Regional Meeting and 2007 Campus Mission. Busan was ranked as the 6th most popular convention city in Asia by the UIA (Union of International Association).
Climate
Busan¡¯s weather is characterized by 4 distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Average seasonal temperatures in Busan are shown below.
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
 |  |  |  |
 late March to May
warm |
June to early
September
hot and humid |
September to
November
mild weather |
December to
Mid-March
cold and dry |
Average Temperatures in Busan
| Month | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec |
| C¡Æ | 3 | 4.3 | 8.3 | 13.4 | 17.4 | 20.5 | 24.2 | 25.7 | 22.1 | 17.3 | 11.3 | 5.6 |
| F¡Æ | 37.4 | 39.74 | 32.54 | 56.12 | 63.32 | 68.9 | 75.56 | 78.26 | 71.78 | 63.14 | 52.34 | 42.08 |
Foreign Currency
Currency Exchange Rate
Recently, the US dollar has been worth about 1,260 won(as 2009). Exchange rates may change at any time according to market conditions.
Currency
Korea`s official monetary unit is the won.
The Korean currency consists of the ten thousand, five thousand, and one thousand won note, and the five hundred, one hundred, fifty and ten won coin.
50,000 (Oman won) |
10,000 (Man won) |
5,000 (Ochen won) |
1,000 (Cheon won) |
500 won (obaek won) |
100 won (baek won) |
50 won (osip won) |
10 won(sip won) |
Tip
 Packet of cigarettes 2,500won
Big Mac hamburger 2,900won
Big Mac meal 4,600won
Festival
Gijang Anchovy Festival
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A Blend of Taste and Excitement
Dates. Late April to early May,
every year
Venue. Daebyeon Port area,
Gijang-gun
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Busan Biennale
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Bringing Together the Artists
of the World
Dates. Between May~November, every
even-numbered year
Venue. Busan Museum of
Modern Art etc.
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Busan International Rock Festival[BIROF]
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A Music Festival Surging with Energy
Dates. Early August, every year
Venue. Dadaepo Beach
Site. www.rockfestival.co.kr
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BUSAN International Film Festival
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You and I flowing into a Sea of Film
Dates. October, every year
Venue. Nampo-dong and Haeundae Area
Site. www.piff.org
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Busan Jagalchi Festival
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Come, See, and Buy!
Dates. October, every year
Venue. Jagalchi Seafood Market Area
Site. www.jagalchi.co.kr
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Busan Multimedia Fireworks Festival
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The Beauty of Gwangan Bridge and Bay at Night
Dates. Mid~October, every year
Venue. Gwangalli Beach and Gwangan Bridge
Site. www.festival.busan.kr
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Polar Bear Swim
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For An Invigorating Winter
Dates. January ~ February, every year
Venue. Haeundae Beach
Site. www.tour.haeundae.go.kr
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Tour Program
| | Title | Contents |
| 1 | Full day Busan Tour
"Enjoy Busan" | Haeundae-Youngdusan Park-International Market-Jagalchi Fish Market-Nurimaru APEC House/Oryukdo(Islets)-Yonggung Temple-Haeundae
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| Haeundae-UN Memorial Cemetery-Busan Museum-Beomeo Temple-Dongnae Spas-Haeundae |
| 2 | Half day Busan Tour
"Enjoy Convention" |
Haeundae-Gijang Ceremics Art Center-Yonggung Temple |
| Haeundae-Beomeo Temple (Tea Ceremony Experience)-Bokcheon Museum |
| Haeundae-Yongdusan Park-International Market-PIFF Square-Jagalchi Fish Market-Haeundae |
| 3 | Night Tour
"Feel Busan" |
Haeundae-Nurimaru APEC House-Maritime Cruise Tour-Paradise Hotel Casino |
| Haeundae-Busan Aquarium at night-Mt. Hwangyeong Night View |
 
Transportation
Air transportation
Busan's accessibility by air is excellent.
Gimhae International airport is one of South Korea's major hubs, served by 20 airlines offering over 424 scheduled flights per week. It¡¯s only 40 minutes from the downtown area.
Gimhae Airport Route
9 countries, 20 airlines 28 cities, 424 flights per week
| Nation | City | Day | Nation | City | Day |
| China | Baijing | Daily | Japan | Tokyo | Daily |
| Qingdao | Sun, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat | Osaka | Daily |
| Hongkong | Daily | Fukuoka | Daily |
| Pudong | Daily | Nagoya | Daily |
| Shenyang | Mon.The,Wed,Fri,Sat | Sapporo | The, Thu, Sat |
| Hangzhou | Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat | The Philippines | Manila | Daily |
| Guangzhou | Tue, Sat | Cebu | Sun, Thu |
| Weihai | Sun, Wed, Fri | Thailand | Bangkok | Daily |
| Dalian | Tue, Fri | Russia | Vladivostok | Mon |
| Taiwan | Taipei | Daily | Germany | Munich | Daily |
For more information
http:// gimhae.airport.co.kr/eng/index.jsp |
Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh | Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri |
| Hanoi | Mon, Thu, Sat |
| U.S.A | Minneapolis | Daily |
| Saipan | Sun, thu |
Getting to Busan
1. World  Incheon Busan
 Incheon International Airport: 35 countries, 116 cities, 2,766 flights/week
2. World Incheon Kimpo Busan
Kimpo Busan 60~66 flights at 30~40 min. intervals
3. World Japan Busan
Japan, 5 cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, and Sapporo), 136 flights/week
4. World China Busan
China, 13 cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, etc.), 208 flights/week
* Flights via Japan or China are recommended, for easy access to Busan.
From the Airport
Busan is equipped with quick and efficient bus, taxi, and subway systems connecting all parts of the city, including the convention venue, hotels, downtown areas and the KTX stations.
Busan [Gimhae] International Airport->BEXCO: 27km
By taxi [25min.]: deluxe-25,000won [US $25], regular-15,000won [US $15]
[as of December, 2007]
By limousine bus [35min.]: 4,500won [US $4.5]
KTX [Korea Train Express]: Busan-Seoul[capital city of South Korea]
Busan can be reached in less than three hours. KTX trains run every 30 minutes.
City Transportation
Taxi ¢Ï462-4651
As of September 2007
| Level | Basic Fare(won) | Additional Charge | Extra Charge |
| Deluxe Taxi | 4,200 | \200 for every 199m while driving | - |
| General Taxi | 1,800 |
\100 for every 170m while driving,every 40 seconds while stopped | an additional 20% charge after midnight |
City Bus ¢Ï 635-5221
Bus fares can be paid either by cash or by swiping your Hanaro Transportation Card against the card machine when you get on the bus. Board the bus by the door at the front. ¡æ Press the button to inform the driver of your intention to get off. ¡æ Get off through the door to the rear of the bus.
* If using the Transportation Card, swipe your card when getting off the bus for automatic entitlement to a free transfer to another bus or to the subway (provided that your journey is continued within 30 minutes).
| Level | City Bus | Deluxe Bus |
| Basic fare(won) | 1,000 | 1,500(1,700won if going beyond the city boundary)
1,800 (late-night rate) |
Subway www.subway.busan.kr ¢Ï 643-0326
As of September 2007
| Classification | General
(over 19 years old) | Youth
(under 19 years old) | Child |
| One Section (up to 10km) | 1,100 | 1,100 | \500 |
| Two Section (over 10km) | 1,300 | 1,300 | \650 |
| Discount | Transportation Card | 10% | 30% | 10% |
| Group (over 20 people) | 20% | 30% | 20% |
| Complimentary Ticket | Senior citizens over 65 years old, national patriots or veterans, the disabled (including assistants for severely disabled-Grades 1-3) |
* Child: 6-12 year olds or Elementary School Students. Free for under 6s.
Visa
Any foreign visitors wishing to enter the Republic of Korea must have a valid passport and, if necessary, obtain a Korean visa before coming. Nationals of 99 countries who want to visit Korea temporarily are permitted to enter without a visa according to visa-exemption agreements, or in accordance with reciprocity or national interest principles.
Foreigners visiting Korea with confirmed outbound tickets can stay in Korea up to 30 days without a visa. Exceptions apply to citizens from a few countries. Special visa exceptions exist between Korea and the countries listed below, provided their citizens do not participate in remunerative activities while visiting Korea.
Countries under Visa Exemption Agreement
| Region | Countries |
| Europe | Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Spain, Slovak Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom |
| Asia &Oceania | Bangladesh, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey
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| America |
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rika, Commonwealth of Dominica, Dominican Republic, EI Salvador, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama,
Peru, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago
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| Africa |
Lesotho, Liberia, Morocco, Tunisia |
*For more information : http://english.tour2korea.com
Tax refund
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Any product with this ¡°Tax Free Shopping¡± sign will give you a refund on VAT.
You must depart Korea within 3 months of the purchase. |
How to get Tax Refund
- Purchase your items at any shops with this "Tax Free Shopping" sign and receive a payment slip.
- When departing, you need to get a stamp issued from the customs officer after showing him the purchased items and payment slip.
- At the Cash Refund Office in the airport, you can receive the amount of VAT.
You may also be able to get a refund at the airport of your destination.
Phone calls
| 1. Public phone |
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There are three types of public telephones in Korea: coin-operated telephones, card phones, and credit card phones.
A local call costs 70 won (US$0.06) for three minutes. Intercity calls cost considerably more. Coin phones return coins that are not charged, but do not return change for partially used 100 won coins.
Card telephones can be used to make international calls as well as local and intercity calls. Telephone cards come in 2,000, 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000 denominations and are on sale in shops close to telephone boxes and in banks.
There are also credit card phones, which you can use with major credit cards.
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| 2. Cell Phone Rental Service |
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Cell-Phone Rental Services are available at Gimhae International Airport.
SK Int'l Busan Roaming Airport Center :
www.skroaming.com, 82-51-941-9011, 1599-2011
KTF Int'l Busan Roaming Airport Center :
www.ktfroaming.com, 82-51-941-9433, 1588-0608
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3. How to call overseas from Korea
First dial any of the following international call company numbers, then the country code
and finally the number you are calling.
Regular International Phone Call Carriers: 001, 002, 008.
*Mobile Phone Carriers: 00345, 00365, 00388, 00700, 00727, 00766, 00770 and so on.
Pre-Paid Phone Cards: Generally your best bet, since it can be very difficult
to find a budget mobile phone rental service, pre-paid phone cards are available
at many convenience stores and news stands.
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Voltage
 In Korea, 220 volt outlets are most common. (two round pins)
If your appliance plug has a different shape, you may need a plug adapter.
Convention Facilities
1.Main Center
Busan Exhibition & Convention Center (BEXCO)
BEXCO, a landmark of the world-famous port city of Busan, has emerged as one of the most competitive exhibition and convention centers in Northeast Asia. BEXCO has been holding numerous international events successfully including the 2005 APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan Final Draw Ceremony, ICCA Annual Conference 2003, ITU Telecom Asia 2004, 14th ILO Asian Regional Meeting and UNESCAP Ministerial Conference on Transport 2006.
State-of-the-art Facilities: This magnificent building contains single-story, pillar-free exhibitions halls, open air exhibition space and conference halls for hosting all kinds of conferences from small seminars to large-scale international meetings.
Optimal Location: BEXCO is about 30 minutes from Gimhae International Airport and Busan Railway Station. Near BEXCO is Haeundae Beach, Korea¡¯s most famous resort, and the beauty of the natural surroundings make BEXCO the perfect venue for your exhibition and convention needs now and in the future.
2. Nurimaru APEC House
Nurimaru APEC House, where one of the main events of the 13th APEC Economic Leaders¡¯ Meeting was held, is a top-class conference hall boasting the latest technology. It is a perfect venue for international conferences, seminars, banquets and receptions, and equally for smaller art exhibitions, with its glorious natural environment.
Nurimaru APEC House takes pride in its location, from where you can enjoy views of the beautiful Gwangan Bridge, Igidae Park, Oryukdo Islets, Dong Baek Island and Haeundae Beach.
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