Policy Proposal Calls for a Comprehensive Plan to Develop North Port into a Marine Tourism Hub

[Financial News] "Taking the appearance of 'Bukangi' (the North Port shark) as an opportunity, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), Busan, the Busan Port Authority (BPA) and other relevant agencies, together with civil society, should jointly establish a public-private cooperative governance system. Busan should take the lead in swiftly drawing up a comprehensive plan and promoting related projects to develop North Port, a waterfront area of Busan Port, into a global marine tourism hub."
The Busan Port Future Policy Institute, jointly headed by Jeong Seong-gi and Lee Gwang-guk, announced on the 5th that it had delivered a policy proposal titled "Policy Proposal for Fostering Busan's North Port as a Global Marine Tourism Hub" to Busan and other relevant authorities.
The proposal called for the "Bukangi" phenomenon not to end as a one-off issue. Instead, it said the public interest should be used as a new driving force for revitalizing North Port, which should be developed in line with the original intent and purpose of the redevelopment project into a global marine tourism hub that domestic and international tourists will continue to visit.
The proposal called for a comprehensive plan to be drawn up promptly by organically linking policies in areas such as marine culture, tourism, commerce, public transportation and water safety. It also urged the MOF, Busan and the BPA to establish a clear division of responsibilities and a closely coordinated system of cooperation.
It also noted that a North Port access system centered on public transportation should be established promptly, followed by the expansion of related transportation infrastructure.
To this end, a circular city-bus route linking Busan Station, Choryang, Busan Port International Passenger Terminal, Multi-transit Center, North Port Marina and Jungang Station should be established immediately. It also said the North Port tram along the already planned Jungang Station–North Port Marina–waterfront park–Busan Port International Passenger Terminal route should be built.
The institute recommended expanding the "Bukangi Shark Theme Park" and distinctive marine tourism content unique to North Port, as well as attracting large-scale international events to develop the area into a tourism destination where visitors can see, experience and stay.
To turn the public interest generated this time into a sustainable tourism resource, it said a "Bukangi Shark Theme Park" should be created around North Port's waterfront park, featuring shark sculptures, photo zones and marine ecology education and experience facilities.
It recommended quickly expanding public marine tourism infrastructure, such as the Busan Port History Museum, North Port Redevelopment Memorial Hall and Marine Leisure Sports Complex, to establish a tourism base for longer stays where visitors can see, enjoy and experience the area rather than simply make a brief visit.
It also called for the Busan Port Festival to be expanded and developed to a world-class standard like the Hamburg Port Festival. The proposal further urged the regular hosting of large-scale international events, including global K-pop concerts and international cruise festivals, to continuously attract tourists from South Korea and abroad.
In addition, it called for the prompt expansion of waterfront commercial and amenity facilities to improve visitor convenience and revitalize North Port and surrounding local commercial areas. The institute noted that the unsold commercial lots along the waterfront park's canal, including Blocks Z-2, Z-3 and Z-4, should be actively utilized to build and revitalize at an early date a waterfront specialty shopping district in the form of a "Street Mall," with restaurants, cafes, convenience stores, specialty product shops and tourism merchandise stores concentrated there.

[email protected] Byeon Ok-hwan Reporter