→ Are you considering studying in Busan?
→ Busan is South Korea’s second-largest city, offering a lower cost of living and a more relaxed environment than Seoul.
→ In particular, considering its natural environment, strong industry connections, and wide range of part-time job opportunities, it can be a very practical choice for international students.
Night view of Busan Woam-dong, a scenic area popular among visitors and international students Source:
Korea Tourism Organization Photo Korea (Busan Woam-dong / Photo by Kim Hyo-seo)
●🟧✓ Busan
●🟦✓ Busan – City Overview
▶ Busan is South Korea’s second-largest city, a major coastal metropolis with a population of about 3.3 million.▶ Over the past 10 years, the young population has declined somewhat, but the number of international tourists has increased rapidly. As many large companies have relocated to Busan under government policies, the young population is now showing signs of growth again.
▶ Natural environment: Busan is located by the sea and has a mild climate, leading to high satisfaction among foreign residents. It is also regarded as a city with a relatively large foreign population. A wide range of foreigners, including international students, researchers, and tourists, live here, creating an international living environment.
▶ Tourism and industry:
→ Busan is a coastal city with six beaches, including Haeundae, Gwangalli, Songdo, Dadaepo, Songjeong, and Ilgwang,
→ and it offers a variety of tourist attractions such as Gamcheon Culture Village, Taejongdae, Yongdusan Park, BIFF Street & Jagalchi Market, Dongbaekseom, and Haedong Yonggungsa.
→ Its port and fisheries industries are highly developed, and its location is strategically important for global shipping routes, giving it a key role among Korea’s major ports.
▶ Connected industries: Busan is linked with Ulsan, Changwon, Pohang, and Tongyeong, making it advantageous for students choosing majors related to manufacturing, such as shipbuilding, machinery, petrochemicals, and steel.
●🟦✓ Busan and its surrounding satellite cities
▶ Gimhae→ About 30–40 minutes from central Busan
→ Population: about 550,000
→ Connected to Gimhae International Airport, Jangyu Industrial Complex, and the tourism and logistics industries
▶ Yangsan
→ About 40–50 minutes from central Busan
→ Population: about 340,000
→ Connected to the Ulsan and Busan industrial complexes, making it favorable for majors related to machinery and manufacturing
▶ Parts of Changwon (areas connected to Busan)
→ About 40 minutes to 1 hour from the outskirts of Busan
→ Population: about 1.05 million
→ Connected to the shipbuilding, machinery, and petrochemical industries, making it favorable for students majoring in engineering and industry-related fields
▶ New towns on the outskirts of Sasang, Saha, and Gangseo
→ About 20–40 minutes from central Busan
→ Population: about 150,000–250,000
→ Residential areas connected to housing, commuting, and educational infrastructure
●🟦✓ Accessibility to Seoul:
▶ By KTX, it takes about 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours to reach Seoul, and about 4–5 hours by car.▶ Domestic and international travel is available through Gimhae International Airport, making Busan a highly convenient city for transportation.
●🟦✓ Busan’s Natural Environment
▶ Busan offers a unique living environment where the sea, mountains, and urban life are well balanced.
▶ Unlike inland cities, many areas in Busan are located close to the sea, allowing students to easily relax at the beach after classes.
▶ Coastal walking paths, parks, and bike lanes are well maintained, making it an ideal environment for maintaining a balance between academic life and daily routines.
▶ Compared to Seoul, Busan is generally less crowded and has a more relaxed atmosphere, making it a suitable choice for international students who prefer a stable and less stressful lifestyle.
▶ In addition, Busan is surrounded by mountains such as Geumjeongsan, Hwangnyeongsan, and Jangsan, all located close to the city, allowing easy access to nature.
▶ Some of these mountains also offer ocean views, creating a unique living environment that is not commonly found in other cities.
▶ In many countries, the sea is mainly considered a travel destination, but in Busan, it is part of everyday life and can be easily visited at any time.
▶ This environment supports a balanced lifestyle between study and daily life and is often regarded as highly satisfying by many international students.
●🟦✓ Major universities in Busan
▶ National universities: Pusan National University（부산대학교）, Pukyong National University（부경대학교）, Korea Maritime & Ocean University（한국해양대학교）▶ Private universities: Dong-A University（동아대학교）, Dong-Eui University（동의대학교）, Silla University（신라대학교）, Kyungsung University（경성대학교）, Dongseo University（동서대학교）, Busan University of Foreign Studies（부산외국어대학교）, Tongmyong University（동명대학교）, Busan Catholic University（부산가톨릭대학교）, Busan University of Science & Technology（부산과학기술대학교）, Busan Institute of the Arts（부산예술대학교）, Busan Presbyterian University（부산장신대학교）
●🟦✓ Universities in Busan’s satellite cities
▶ Gimhae - Gimhae Health University（김해보건대학교）▶ Yangsan - Pusan National University Yangsan Campus, a national university（부산대학교 양산캠퍼스）
▶ Changwon - Changwon National University, a national university（창원대학교）
💊 Students attending universities in the satellite cities may work part-time locally, live in Busan and commute, or work part-time in Busan.
→ Universities in the satellite cities also maintain active exchanges with universities in Busan, so they can be considered almost part of the same area as Busan.
●🟦✓ Housing environment and costs
Busan generally has lower housing costs than Seoul.▶ Example of single-person housing (Busan average)
→ 21㎡ studio-style officetel
→ Deposit: about KRW 3,000,000 ~ KRW 10,000,000 (about USD 2,070 ~ USD 6,900)
→ Monthly rent: about KRW 400,000 ~ KRW 800,000 (about USD 276 ~ USD 552)
※ Popular areas such as Haeundae and Centum tend to be somewhat more expensive.
Compared with Seoul, costs are often about 30~50% lower for the same unit size.
💊 Busan’s satellite cities, such as Gimhae and Yangsan, are about 10~20% cheaper than Busan, while Changwon is about 10% cheaper.
Source: Korea Tourism Organization Photo Korea (Busan Port / Photo by Kamel Press)
●🟦✓ Part-time job opportunities in the Busan area
▶ With the recent increase in tourists, there are plenty of part-time job opportunities.→ You can work in a wide range of industries, including restaurants, cafés, cleaning, interpretation, guiding, PC cafés, and jjimjilbangs.
▶ Long-term part-time work during school breaks is also available in industrial complexes on the outskirts of Busan, as well as in Changwon and Ulsan.
▶ There are also part-time job opportunities in agricultural areas such as the Gimhae Plain on the outskirts of Busan, as well as at Busan Port, Busan New Port, and Jagalchi Market.
●🟦✓ Advantages of studying in Busan
▶ International students report high satisfaction thanks to Busan’s milder weather compared to Seoul.
▶ As a coastal city, Busan feels less crowded and less congested than a major city like Seoul, allowing for a more relaxed and balanced lifestyle.
▶ Overall living costs are lower than in Seoul, reducing the financial burden (with possible savings of about 20–30%).
→ Tuition: Private universities are about 20–30% cheaper than in Seoul, and national universities are about 40–50% cheaper.
▶ Compared to the Seoul metropolitan area, you can choose from universities with relatively lower competition rates.
▶ Some universities also have relatively high dormitory capacity.
▶ As an international tourist city, Busan has extensive experience welcoming foreigners.
▶ Its strong marine, logistics, shipbuilding, and machinery industries make it advantageous for students majoring in related engineering fields.
▶ Majors such as tourism, hospitality, food service, and global marketing are also well suited for international students and offer opportunities for industry-connected experience.
●🟦✓ Recommended Majors in the Busan Area
→ These fields are connected to companies such as Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, and POSCO. These are key majors that offer strong opportunities for practical experience and employment.
→ These fields are connected to companies such as Paradise Hotel Busan and Lotte Hotel Busan. With a well-developed tourism industry, they offer strong opportunities for practical training and employment.
■ Introduction to Major Regional Cities
▶ Many international students tend to view Seoul as the only major city,but in addition to large cities such as Busan (about 3.3 million), Daegu (about 2.4 million), Daejeon (about 1.45 million), and Gwangju (about 1.45 million), Cheonan·Asan is also an education-centered city, and Ulsan, Jeonju, Cheongju·Wonju also offer sufficient living and educational infrastructure.
▶ Major regional cities in Korea have well-developed and balanced public transportation, medical facilities, large supermarkets, shopping environments for daily necessities, a wide variety of restaurants, and educational infrastructure. As a result, there is little inconvenience in everyday life, and their overall infrastructure does not fall far behind Seoul.
▶ In addition, compared to Seoul, regional cities generally have lower dormitory and housing costs, and some universities offer greater dormitory availability, making it easier to establish a stable living base.
▶ Depending on the major, some students may prefer regional flagship national universities or specialized universities in certain fields.
▶ Downtown areas in regional cities offer riverside walking paths, gently sloping green spaces and hills, and, in coastal cities, relaxing spaces near the sea, providing an ideal environment for maintaining a balance between academics and daily life.
💊 Korea’s rivers, walking paths, bike paths, and rest areas are maintained at a world-class level and are very safe, leading to high satisfaction among international students. There are also plenty of spaces where students can live close to nature and relax comfortably.
●🟦✓ Comparison of Population Size: International Cities and Major Korean Cities
▶ Busan (about 3.3 million), Daegu (about 2.4 million), Daejeon (about 1.45 million), Gwangju (about 1.45 million), Cheonan·Asan (about 1 million)
▶ Paris (about 2.2 million), Barcelona (about 1.6 million), Milan (about 1.4 million), Amsterdam (about 900,000), Zurich (about 400,000)
💊 Major regional cities in Korea are smaller than Seoul, but they are still large cities even compared to major European cities, and they are well equipped with public transportation, medical facilities, commercial facilities, and university infrastructure.
💊 Therefore, the term “regional” does not mean that living conditions are inconvenient; rather, it refers to an environment where students can maintain both their studies and daily life in a stable way.
📌 Busan is a practical study abroad option with affordable tuition, a lower cost of living, and a stable living environment, offering a different kind of appeal from Seoul.
It is also one of the cities preferred by many international students because it offers a wide range of industries and part-time job opportunities.
Night view of Busan from Bongnaesan, showing a vibrant and comfortable living environment for international students in Korea
Source: Busan Tourism Organization (Bongnaesan, Busan)
Q. How much warmer is Busan than Seoul?
▶ Busan is on average more than about 5 degrees warmer than Seoul, so it is rare to see snow there even in winter.
▶ Thanks to its mild climate, international students report very high satisfaction with the weather.
Q. Can students at universities in Busan also interact with students from many different countries?
▶ The Busan area is home to a wide range of international professionals, including researchers, design engineers, and engineering specialists from abroad.
▶ Because of strong industry connections, there are also many internship opportunities in fields such as tourism and hospitality.
▶ Through universities and local communities, students can actively interact not only with Korean students but also with students of many different nationalities and majors, at a level comparable to Seoul.
Q. Are there also many vegan, halal, and international restaurants in Busan?
▶ Busan is an international city where people can enjoy not only Korean food but also cuisine from many different countries.
▶ Vegan and halal restaurants continue to increase as the number of tourists and foreign residents grows.
▶ In particular, major areas such as Haeundae and Seomyeon have a large number of restaurants offering food from various countries.
→ Guide to essential administrative procedures after entering Korea