Global Maritime City Busan to Host 'Maritime Month' Throughout May

Busan City has designated May as the ‘2023 Busan Maritime Month’ and will operate various events during this period to highlight Busan’s symbolism as a global maritime city and to increase citizens’ interest in the maritime sector.

Busan City Hall.

The government has designated a week including May 31st every year as the ‘Sea Week in Commemoration of Sea Day’ and has been operating various maritime events. However, maritime events held in Busan have been sporadically organized by various hosts, leading to suggestions that they should be systematically consolidated to improve efficiency.

Accordingly, the city has designated the entire month of May as ‘Busan Maritime Month’ to intensively hold various events and festivals focused on maritime economy, environment, culture, and more.

Major events include ▲ Busan Maritime Week (5.22.~5.26.) proclamation ceremony and Maritime Environment Conference (5.22.) ▲ Maritime Economy Forum (5.23.) ▲ Youth Debate Competition and Maritime Industry Leaders Summit (5.24.) ▲ Busan Maritime Conference (5.25.).

In addition to events sharing the future vision of the maritime sector, a citizens’ movement headquarters inauguration ceremony for marine environment preservation (5.27.) and plogging events will also be held. Furthermore, citizen-participation sea festivals such as ▲ Busan Port Festival (5.27.~5.28.) ▲ Marine Healing Program (5.27.~5.28.) ▲ Suyeong-gu Fishery Festival (5.12.~5.14.) will be linked and held.

Through the operation of this ‘Busan Maritime Month,’ the city expects to consolidate Busan’s maritime capabilities into one, thereby not only strengthening Busan’s leadership as a maritime city but also contributing to raising enthusiasm for attracting the 2030 World Expo to Busan.

Kim Byung-gi, Director of the Marine and Fisheries Bureau of Busan City, stated, “For Busan, which has grown alongside the sea, to establish external competitiveness as a global city, citizens’ empathy for the maritime sector is necessary,” and added, “We ask for your great interest in the various maritime events held in celebration of the 2023 Busan Maritime Month.”