"Not Seoul, But Here": The Viral 'Busanbyung' Phenomenon Spreading Rapidly in Taiwan

Surge in Busan-Taiwan Flights
Demand Soars, Giving Rise to the Buzzword 'Busanbyung'
1.14 Million Taiwanese Passengers by July This Year
Virtuous Cycle: More Tourists Lead to Expanded Direct Routes

The number of flights between Busan and Taiwan has surged. Analysts attribute this to a significant increase in demand for repeat visits to Busan among Taiwanese tourists, to the point where a new buzzword, 'Busanbyung', has appeared among them.

According to air traffic statistics from Korea Airports Corporation as of July 2026, there were a total of 6,609 flights between Busan and Taiwan, matching the entire number of flights for 2024 and already reaching 82.9% of the total for 2025. As for passenger volume, 1,142,431 people traveled on the Busan-Taiwan routes by July 2026, already surpassing the entire 2024 total of 1,061,935. The total number of passengers in 2025 was 1,331,273.

View of Haeundae.

Nine airlines currently operate on the Busan-Taipei (Taoyuan) route: Air Busan, China Airlines, Eastar Jet, EVA Air, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, STARLUX Airlines, and Tigerair Taiwan.

The Busan-Kaohsiung route is served by Air Busan, Jeju Air, and T'way Air. The Busan-Taichung route is operated by Jin Air and STARLUX Airlines.

Among these carriers, Taiwanese airlines such as EVA Air and STARLUX Airlines have recently launched new services, while domestic airlines have also been steadily increasing their flight frequencies. There are no traffic rights restrictions on the Busan-Taiwan routes, allowing airlines relatively free access. As the number of Taiwanese tourists visiting Busan has risen sharply, load factors have increased as well, and with no restrictions on flights, the number of flights has expanded accordingly. Most flights between Busan and Taiwan reportedly record load factors above 80 percent. In other words, the increase in Taiwanese tourists visiting Busan and the expansion of direct flight routes are creating a virtuous cycle.

Posts related to 'Busanbyung' appearing on social networking services (SNS). Thread

On local Taiwanese social networking services (SNS), the new term 'Busanbyung' has become popular, referring to the feeling of wanting to visit Busan again because its attractions are unforgettable even after returning home from a trip. Busan’s appeal includes a wide range of direct flights, diverse food options, a unique setting where mountains, sea, and city coexist, and high travel convenience. In addition, compared to Seoul, the relatively laid-back and relaxed cityscape of Busan is seen as contributing to higher emotional satisfaction among tourists.

The Busan Tourism Organization is leveraging this trend with proactive tourism marketing. Recently, it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism to boost tourism exchanges and the growth of the tourism industry, and is running a Taiwanese repeat visitor campaign under the name 'Busanbyung Healing Promotion.'

Meanwhile, Busan has not only seen growth in Taiwanese tourist numbers, but also an increase in Southeast Asian tourists and residents. As a result, the Philippine government has decided to open a Consulate General in Busan, following its embassy in Seoul. This will be the eighth foreign Consulate General in Busan, following the opening of one from Vietnam last year.

As the number of foreign tourists and residents has grown, card spending by foreigners has also soared. In just the first half of this year, the figure reached 742.3 billion won, nearly matching the total for last year. This ranks Busan second nationwide, after Seoul (6.7486 trillion won).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.