Haeundae

Haeundae
해운대구

Autonomous District

Korean transcription(s)

• Hanja

• Revised Romanization

Haeundae-gu

• McCune-Reischauer

Haeundae-gu

Logo

Country

Administrative divisions

18 administrative dong

Area

• Total

51.44 km² (19.86 sq mi)

Population (2007)

• Total

423,167

• Density

8,226/km² (21,310/sq mi)

• Dialect

Gyeongsang

Website

www.haeundae.go.kr

Haeundae District is a gu in eastern Busan, South Korea. It has an area of 51.44 km², and a population of about 423,000. This represents about 11.6% of the population in Busan. It became a division of Busan in 1976 and attained the status of gu in 1980.

Haeundae is an affluent beach front community that attracts tens of thousands of tourists during summer. It has been subject to considerable commercial development in recent decades.

The beach is linked to Busan Subway Line 2 and train stations on the Donghae Nambu railway line.

Haeundae takes its name from the ninth century Silla scholar and poet Choi Chi-won (literary name Haeun, or "Sea and Clouds"), who, according to a historical account, admired the view from the beach and built a pavilion nearby. A piece of Choi's calligraphy, which he engraved on a rock at Haeundae, still exists.

Haeundae used to be isolated from the large communities in Busan and Busanjin. It remained undeveloped until the late 1970s and early 1980s. A small number of luxury hotels were constructed after the 1988 Seoul Olympics. More hotels and other tourist facilities have been constructed on the beach-front area since the mid-1990s, and shopping malls and movie theatre complexes have been built in the 'centre' of Haeundae: an area between Haeundae Station and the beach. The area has continued to grow, apart from during the Asian financial crisis of 1997.

Haeundae has been a regular host of the annual Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). Haeundae's Dongbaek Island was the location for the 2005 APEC Conference.

Haeundae New Town (해운대 신시가지-Haeundae Sinsigaji), a major commercial and residential redevelopment project begun in 1990, is located in the Jwa-dong area. This area lies in the southern shadow of Jangsan mountain to the north, and is bounded in the south by Haeundae Station on the Dalmaji Gogae line of the Korean National Railroad. Another development project, Centum City, has been ongoing since early 2000 and is now a major feature of Busan. Its BEXCO (Busan Exhibition and Convention Center) has become a popular venue for international conventions and exhibitions. Marine City, located nearby, is constructed on land reclaimed from the sea, and has several huge, high-rise apartment blocks. Additional apartment blocks are under construction, with water resorts and related facilities, for use by the public, also planned for Marine City.

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Wikipedia