Our group boarded a KTX (Korea Train eXpress) bullet train that would take us to Busan. There is a picture of a KTX train above the title of this blog post (Credit: Shutterstock / sorao.211). Pictured below is the train station in Seoul where we would begin our journey. There is also a picture of the interior of our train car. The following is information posted on the internet about the train and the Busan route:

“South Korea is a destination which is gaining more and more popularity among travelers worldwide. As such, making your way from Seoul to Busan on a modern KTX bullet train has recently become somewhat of a route classic, taking you across the country from north to south in record-fast travel times.”

When the train arrived, we quickly boarded and then were underway. The trip to Busan was 260 miles and took about 2 1/2 hours which included some stops along the way.

After arriving in Busan, we went to the Commodore Hotel where we had lunch. The hotel’s distinctive traditional Korean architecture and classic interiors were used for filming Netflix’s Crash Landing on You. It served as the fictional Pyongyang hotel where Yoon Se-ri and Captain Ri stayed in the show. The first three pictures were ones taken on our visit. The three other pictures are screenshots from the movie.

After lunch we visited the Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan. Refugees settled in Gamcheon Village during the Korean War and cultivated the mountainous region to make a living. In 2009, students, artists, and residents decorated the village as a part of the Village Art Project. The town grew into a leading tourist attraction in Busan. The first picture below depicts the colorfully painted houses found throughout Gamcheon Cultural Village (Credit: Shutterstock / Cuba Puchajda). Besides the colorful houses, there is other art throughout the town.

Pictured next is the Swimming Fish Mural. The mural is made up of small wooden fish, each painted by a resident or visitor. The mural represents Gamcheon’s collective spirit and artistic identity.

The next picture is a statue of “The Little Prince.” It is a popular photo spot in the Gamcheon Culture Village. The Little Prince and the Desert Fox sit on a railing, gazing over the colorful village. The Little Prince is the main character in a book where he travels through space in a story that explores life themes through symbolism.

The next pictures are all in Yongdusan Park. Located within the Park is the Busan Tower. It was built in 1973 as an entertainment attraction. At almost 400 feet, it offers panoramic views of Busan and the harbor.

The next picture is a the Octagonal Pavilion. This eight-sided building serves as a Visitors’ Center and houses the Museum of World Folk Instruments. Just outside the Pavilion is the Yongdusan Park Dragon Sculpure. It is a bronze statue 13 feet long. Although this dragon sculpture appears fierce, Korean legend portrays the creature as benevolent.

We next went to the Busan harbor where we boarded our small ship, Le Soleal. We had finished six wonderful days of touring in Korea, fulfilling a hope from 2009 that we would visit Korea again. In a few hours we would be headed to Japan.