Busan vs Pusan: Same City, Different Spelling — Here's Why
Busan and Pusan are the same city. The spelling changed in 2000 when South Korea officially adopted a new system for writing Korean words in English. Older maps, books, and references use Pusan — newer ones use Busan. Both refer to South Korea's second-largest city and busiest port, located on the southeastern tip of the peninsula.
Why Did the Name Change?
For most of the 20th century, Korean words were romanized using the McCune–Reischauer system, developed in 1937 by two American scholars. Under this system, the city was written as Pusan.
The problem was that McCune–Reischauer sometimes produced spellings that didn't reflect how Korean words actually sound to Korean speakers. The letter "P" in Pusan, for example, represents a sound that's closer to a soft "B" in Korean — not the hard P sound English speakers naturally read.
In 2000, the South Korean government replaced McCune–Reischauer with the Revised Romanization of Korean system. The goal was to make Korean transliterations more intuitive for foreigners — closer to how words actually sound. Under the new system, 부산 became Busan, not Pusan.
The same update affected dozens of other place names and proper nouns across Korea. Cheju became Jeju. Kimpo Airport became Gimpo Airport. Kwangju became Gwangju. Busan/Pusan was just one of the more widely noticed changes given the city's international profile as a major port.
Is Busan or Pusan Correct Today?
Busan is the official and correct spelling today. It's used by the South Korean government, on all official signage, in international media, and by the city itself.
You'll still see Pusan in older travel guides, historical texts, academic papers written before 2000, and occasionally in informal contexts — particularly among older Koreans who grew up with the previous spelling. Some international organizations and databases were slow to update their records, so Pusan persists in certain sources.
If you're writing about the city today, use Busan.
Does It Affect Anything for Travelers?
Not really. If you search for flights, hotels, or train tickets using either spelling, you'll get results for the same city. The airport code is PUS — a remnant of the Pusan spelling that hasn't been updated — but no one is confused about which city it refers to.
When you're in Korea, you'll see Busan everywhere: on metro signs, buses, highway markers, and official materials. The Korean text (부산) hasn't changed at all — only the English romanization did.
Busan Today
Busan is a city absolutely worth visiting. It's very different from Seoul — more relaxed, more coastal, with a distinct local identity. Key highlights:
- Haeundae Beach — the most famous beach in Korea, busy in summer but genuinely beautiful
- Texas Street — an eccentric neighborhood with a fascinating history
- Gamcheon Culture Village — the colorful hillside village often called Korea's Santorini
- Jagalchi Fish Market — the largest seafood market in Korea, worth an early morning visit
- Gwangalli Beach — slightly quieter than Haeundae, with a great view of Gwangan Bridge at night
Getting there from Seoul takes about 2.5 hours on the KTX high-speed train — easy enough for a weekend trip.
FAQ
Are Busan and Pusan the same place?
Yes, completely. Same city, same location — just two different romanizations of the Korean name 부산.
Why do some old maps still say Pusan?
They were printed before South Korea's 2000 romanization update. The change took years to filter through all publications, databases, and signage.
Is it pronounced "Boo-san" or "Poo-san"?
In Korean it's closer to "Boo-san" with a soft B — which is exactly why the spelling was updated to Busan. The old P was misleading English speakers.
Why is the airport code PUS if it's called Busan?
Airport codes are assigned by IATA and rarely change once set. Gimhae International Airport (the main airport serving Busan) kept the code PUS from when the city was still commonly spelled Pusan internationally.
When did Pusan become Busan officially?
The Revised Romanization of Korean was adopted in July 2000 by the South Korean government, at which point Busan became the official English spelling.
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