Exploring Igidae Park in Busan

This weekend we had some plans that fell through. Suddenly it was mid-afternoon on a Saturday, and it was surprisingly nice weather for rainy season. We decided to quickly leave while the sun was still out, and we made our way to the opposite end of Busan by subway.

Heading to Igidae!

Living outside of the city means there’s still a lot we haven’t seen. Since winter ended, we’ve been trying to change that! It is pretty far away from Yangsan, about an hour on Line 2. From there I’d say we walked about 30 minutes to the start of the trail, but we meandered a bit to enjoy the views and take photos. Here’s the map we found online!

The Story of Igidae

Evan mentions briefly in the video a story of how Igidae Park got its name. I found an article with a translation of the story that is on a plaque in the park. I’ll share it with you now.

When the Japanese invaded Joseon in the late 16th century,
they conquered Suyeongseong Fortress and held a feast
to celebrate their victory at a high, open spot that
commanded pleasant scenery. Two Korean gisaeng
(female professional entertainers) were taken to the feast.
They seized a drunken Japanese commander
and jumped into the sea
as a reprisal against the Japanese invasion of their homeland.
Thus, the name Igidae, which means two gisaeng, was given to this place.

How’s the trail?

Igidae’s coastal trail is 5.2 kilometers and is an easy walk. The trail is well groomed, mostly flat, and all around a stress free hike! I didn’t see any trash, and there were bathrooms on the trail.

If you found this information useful, and/or you’ve gone to Igidae park, please let us know in the comments!!

Go explore somewhere new today!