Expats Rate Busan's Best Qualities

BUSAN, South Korea -- Foreigners cherish Busan’s breathtaking natural scenery, Haeundae Beach, safe environment and kind local people, according to a recent survey conducted by the Busan Development Citizen Foundation.

The poll of 283 foreign residents found that natural scenery (35.5 percent), safety (26.5 percent) and the kindness of locals (23.3 percent) were the most-cited reasons why expats enjoy living in Korea’s No. 1 coastal city.

These were followed by Busan’s easygoing social atmosphere (9.2 percent), traditional culture and historical remains (3.2 percent), city views (2.5 percent) and cuisine (2.1 percent).

Respondents said they considered Busan locals to be kind (52.8 percent), warm-hearted (27 percent), hot-blooded (8.5 percent) and curt (8.2 percent).

When asked which site or scene best represents the city, most answered Haeundae Beach (42.5 percent), followed by Gwangan Bridge (15 percent), cheering at Sajik Stadium (12.5 percent), Jagalchi Market (11.8 percent) and Nurimaru APEC House (6.1 percent).

As for the biggest challenges of living here, almost half cited the communication barrier (48.6 percent), followed by public transport headaches (16.3 percent), cultural misunderstandings (14.1 percent) and discrimination against foreigners (13 percent).

Meanwhile, one-third said the city needs to become more foreigner friendly (30.4 percent), and 27.9 percent said people need to respect other cultures more.

Source: Dynamic Busan

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