Haeundae Beach
Haeundae Beach is an urban beach in Busan, South Korea. Often dubbed one of the country's most famous and popular beaches, it is located in the eponymous Haeundae District.
The beach is busy year-round, and various festivals are held there throughout the year. A popular beach event, "Polar Bear Club", during which participants bath in near freezing water, has been held annually since 1988 in January.
Haeundae is closely associated with cinema, as it partly hosts the Busan International Film Festival, and was featured prominently in the 2009 disaster film Tidal Wave.
Popular sights near the beach include Dongbaekseom, at its west end, which is a popular fishing area. Oryukdo, a group of small islets east of the beach, which are considered a symbol of Busan. The neighborhood surrounding Haeundae is home to most of Busan's expatriate population.
Due to its fame, Haeundae is one of the most expensive areas in South Korea, and the most expensive outside of the Seoul Capital Area. This has led to numerous urban development projects near the beach and the nearby Marine City, including skyscrapers such as Haeundae Doosan We've the Zenith and Haeundae LCT The Sharp.
