Busan, the first city in Asia to be designated a UNESCO Creative City of Film, lives up to its cinematic reputation each fall when it hosts the Busan International Film Festival — Asia’s largest and most prestigious film event. Celebrating its 30th edition this September, the festival continues to captivate cinephiles from across the globe.
Festival Director Jung Hanseok offered a warm message to readers of The MICHELIN Guide: “We are preparing a festival featuring films, directors, and stars that both longtime fans and first-time visitors have been eager to see. As we embark on a new chapter as a competitive film festival, we hope you will join us with your support and enthusiasm.”
Each year, the festival transforms the South Korean city into a stage for celebration, with glamorous red-carpet events and premieres of the latest films by leading Asian auteurs and emerging voices. Film fans even pitch tents in front of box offices to secure tickets, unfazed by the long waits.
More than just a showcase of films, the Busan International Film Festival is a citywide celebration — one that turns everyone from taxi drivers to part-time waiters into gracious hosts. Centered around Haeundae Beach and stretching from the Busan Cinema Center in Centum City to the festival’s birthplace in Nampo-dong, the city’s many MICHELIN-recommended restaurants and hotels offer a flavorful backdrop for a cinematic journey.
Among those most proud of this hometown hospitality is director JK Youn, a Busan native whose affection for the city runs deep. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be than back home in Busan,” he says with a smile.
Youn, whose box office hits Haeundae (2009) and Ode to My Father (2014) each surpassed 10 million admissions (Korea has a population of just over 50 million), sat down for this interview in spite of busy pre-production for a new project. Here, he shares his favorite places to eat and visit in Busan, alongside some memorable behind-the-scenes stories.
Nampo-dong: Childhood flavors and first encounters with cinema
Before the festival moved its epicenter to Haeundae, Nampo-dong was its original hub — a commercial district teeming with movie theaters and eateries. Youn recalls visiting the neighborhood weekly in the early 1980s as a middle school student, accompanying his mother to a local clinic for allergy treatment. Afterward, they would explore the area’s many food spots.
“Food is a vessel for memory,” he muses. He still vividly remembers the fried udon noodles and gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) at Jonggakjip Nampo-dong, which he recently revisited.
Other Nampo-dong favorites include Seoul Kkakdugi, a classic seolleongtang (beef broth soup with rice) spot, and the two noodle institutions Wonsan Myeonok and Halmaejip Hoe Guksu, both local legends.
Back in 2000, Youn was still working a corporate job in Seoul when he visited the Busan festival as part of a promotional campaign.
“At the time, film people felt like they belonged to a different world,” he recalls. Yet shortly after, his script won a contest — and just a year later, he made his directorial debut with My Boss, My Hero.
“It was surreal,” he says. “A year before, I was asking actors for autographs. Suddenly people were asking me for mine.”
Ode to My Father and the markets of Busan
Nampo-dong is also home to a cluster of traditional markets that feature prominently in Ode to My Father, including Gukje Market, Jagalchi Market, and Bupyeong Kkangtong Market.
As the namesake of the film in Korean, Gukje Market stands as one of Busan’s most emblematic landmarks. The film follows protagonist Deoksu (played by Hwang Jung-min) as he supports his family through the decades, from the Korean War to modern times. The market is divided into six sections, selling everything from street food and pork soup to imported liquor, school supplies, and vintage clothing. Deoksu’s shop in the film — selling imported goods — is set in one of these alleys.
Youn recommends visitors try glass noodles in the market’s “Dangmyeon Alley,” and then explore the nearby stalls serving pajeon (chive pancakes) and assorted fried treats.
Jagalchi Market, equally iconic, is the southern port city's premier seafood market and a symbolic location in the film.
“This isn’t just a place of commerce,” Youn says. “It’s a living, breathing portrait of the struggles and resilience of wartime refugees.”
One of the film’s pivotal scenes — when Deoksu receives news of his deployment to West Germany as a coal miner and celebrates with a friend (played by Oh Dal-su) — was shot right in the heart of Jagalchi.
From freshly caught seafood to grilled eel, Youn insists “you really can’t go wrong” with any stall or eatery here. He also recommends the cluster of tripe restaurants near Jagalchi Station, many of which are run by elderly women. “Every place has its own charm,” he adds.
Taejongdae: A natural treasure, on and off screen
In Ode to My Father, Taejongdae is where a young Deoksu shares an intimate seaside date with his future wife Youngja (played by Kim Yunjin). This scenic coastal park on Yeongdo Island is known for its dramatic cliffs, dense forests, and panoramic views of the sea. The area is named after King Taejong Muyeol of Silla, who is said to have practiced archery there.
The rocky shoreline scene — where the couple shares soju and seafood and opens up emotionally —marks— marks a turning point in their relationship.
Filming the scene, however, was no easy feat. “The actors and crew kept grumbling, asking why we had to shoot on the rocks,” Youn laughs. “But I was adamant about Taejongdae.”
“I know about all these hidden gems in Busan — places most people overlook. I made a point of showcasing them beautifully in the film.”
Ode to My Father was screened as part of the Busan festival’s special “Reunification Program” in 2023, and Youn is now working on a sequel, Ode to My Father 2.
Haeundae: Heart of the city and the film
No visit to Busan is complete without a stop at Haeundae Beach. Beyond its sandy shores, the neighborhood offers stylish art galleries and MICHELIN-starred restaurants along Dalmaji Hill; a bustling traditional market and shopping area; the lush Dongbaek Island coastal trail; and Centum City — the new core of the film festival.
Youn’s family moved to Haeundae while he was in college, and he spent his vacations there. During the shooting of Haeundae, a blockbuster disaster film set on the namesake beach, he lived in the area for over a month — the longest he’d stayed in Busan since high school. On days off, he and his crew explored Haeundae’s food scene together, creating memories that still linger.
Haeundae Rib Barbecue Restaurant
A perpetual favorite among locals and tourists alike, this MICHELIN-selected restaurant has been operating in the same spot since 1964 and is now in its third generation. No reservations are accepted, and queues are inevitable.
“This is the kind of galbi you can proudly serve anywhere in the world,” says Youn about the restaurant, which is also known as Haeundae Amso Galbi Jip.
Kumsu Bokguk
Featured in The MICHELIN Guide, this bokguk (pufferfish soup) restaurant has multiple locations across Korea, but Youn recommends the Haeundae original.
Opened in 1970 under the name Geumsu Sikjang, it has served customers around the clock for over half a century. The clear, restorative broth is the house specialty. "It's the perfect hangover solution," says Youn, "It's so soothing."
Haeundae Market
Tucked between high-rise buildings close to the beach, this traditional market is a hotspot for tourists. Can’t find it? Just look for the long queue outside Haeundae Myeongpum Hotteok.Youn recommends trying the seed-filled hotteok (pancakes) filled with molten brown sugar and seeds, along with old-school patbingsu (red bean shaved ice) and classic savory street snacks. For tteokbokki (red pepper paste rice pasta), he suggests Sangdo Tteokbokki.
Late nights, local flavors
“No other city in the world hosts a film festival like Busan,” Youn reflects. “Everyone joins in — actors, directors, locals, and fans sit side by side at street stalls or on the beach, drinking and talking about cinema late into the night.”He emphasizes how important late-night eats are to the experience. “Whether it’s bokguk, pork soup, beef soup, or spicy cod soup — places like Geumsu Bokguk stay open 24/7 for a reason. You’re bound to bump into someone from the film industry.”
Having visited festivals across the globe, Youn maintains there’s nothing quite like Busan. “It’s the most human, most heartwarming festival I know,” he says. “I hope more people come and experience everything this city has to offer.”
The 30th Busan International Film Festival takes place from September 17 to 26, 2025. For more information, visit the official website: www.biff.kr
