Seo-myeon () is a major commercial center and transportation hub in Bujeon-dong,

Busanjin District Busanjin District () is a ''Subdivisions of South Korea, gu'' in central Busan, South Korea. It has an area of 29.7 km2, and a population of about 410,000. The name is sometimes abbreviated locally as "Jin-gu". Busanjin District is home ...

Busan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second list of cities in South Korea by population, most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economi ...

, South Korea. The area grew from a small village in the

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

period to a major industrial hub in the mid-20th century. It hosted numerous factories and businesses, including predecessors to the modern companies

Samsung Samsung Group (; stylised as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational manufacturing Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in the Samsung Town office complex in Seoul. The group consists of numerous a ...

and LG. By the late 20th century, many of the factories moved away, and the area became the preeminent shopping and culture area of the city.

Name

The official administrative name for this area is not "Seo-myeon"; it is actually "Bujeon-dong". "Seo-myeon" was the name of an old settlement in the area that has remained in use.

Transportation

Busan-subway-Seomyeon-station-7-entrance

Seo-myeon is a transportation hub for public transportation in Busan. Seo-myeon Station is near the Seo-myeon road junction and is one of the busiest subway stations in Korea; it is the transfer station between

Busan Subway Line 1 Busan Metro Line 1 is the north-south route of the Busan Metro. It is long with 40 stations, and is considered the second longest line of the Busan Metro system, just behind Line 2. But with Line 1 going to regions such as Jagalchi Station, B ...

and Line 2. Bujeon Station near Bujeon Market is a

train station A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing suc ...

on the

Donghae Nambu Line The Donghae Nambu Line () is a railway line connecting Busan to Pohang in South Korea. The line runs along South Korea's east coast. On December 30, 2016, it was merged into Donghae Line. History On October 31, 1918, an extension of the Daegu ...

and Bujeon Line. A bus transfer center also lies in front of the Busan main store of the

Lotte Department Store Lotte Department Store () is a Korean retail company established in 1979, and headquartered in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Lotte Department Store offers retail consumer goods and services and is one out of 8 business units of Lot ...

History

The area was once a village to the west of the fortress

Dongnaeeupseong Dongnaeeupseong () is a Goryeo-era Korean fortress in Dongnae District, Busan, South Korea. it is located on the mountain Maansan. The fortress was lived in and used for many centuries, with the exception of around the 17th to mid-18th centurie ...

. During the 1910–1945 Japanese colonial period, a tram was built from

Yeongdo Yeongdo District () is a '' gu'' (district) in Busan, South Korea. The ''gu'' itself is limited to Yeong-do (''Yeong Island'') located on the south edge of central Busan. It attained the status of ''gu'' in 1957. The Korea Maritime and Ocean U ...

through the area, which passed through Seo-myeon. After the 1945

liberation of Korea Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...

, factories were built around the area. In the 1950s, a number of factories were built in the area, including

Cheil Jedang CJ CheilJedang Corporation () is a South Korean international food company based in Seoul that manufactures food ingredients, ambient, frozen and chilled packaged food products, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Its brands include Beksul, , Go ...

(a predecessor to the modern

) and Lakhee Chemical (a predecessor to the modern LG). The area's iconic 5-way intersection was built in 1957. Busan Tower was built in 1963. Trams passed under the tower until the tram closed in 1968. Industry in the area continued to flourish; this was due to the area's access to rail and proximity to the

port of Busan The port of Busan is the largest port in South Korea, located in the city of Busan, South Korea. Its location is known as Busan Harbour. The port is ranked sixth in the world's container throughput and is the largest seaport in South Korea. The ...

. The area became especially busy in the 1970s, as workers commuted in large numbers to the area. It also became popular as an area for culture, and had theaters and shopping streets. It attracted both local workers and college students. Beginning in the 1980s, factories were gradually moved to the outskirts of the city. The opening of shopping malls in the area during this decade cemented the area's status as a commercial hub. Banks and finance companies opened in the area, and government offices were located nearby. Hagwons increased in density in the 1990s.

Symbology

The district flag of

Busanjin-gu Busanjin District () is a ''Subdivisions of South Korea, gu'' in central Busan, South Korea. It has an area of 29.7 km2, and a population of about 410,000. The name is sometimes abbreviated locally as "Jin-gu". Busanjin District is home ...

symbolizes the 5-way intersection of Seo-myeon. It represents the center of Busan as a hub of

globalization Globalization is the process of increasing interdependence and integration among the economies, markets, societies, and cultures of different countries worldwide. This is made possible by the reduction of barriers to international trade, th ...

, finance, commerce, distribution, and information. The district tree is the gingko, which can be seen throughout the area and is said to symbolize stability due to the resistant nature that protects it against disease and insects. The district flower is the

chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums ( ), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants in the Asteraceae family. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia, and the center of diversity is in China. Co ...

, another plant known to endure harsh conditions. The district bird is the magpie, known for building nests in the branches of very high trees.

References

External links

{{Commons category inline, Seomyeon, Busan Busanjin District Shopping districts and streets in South Korea