A Week Living in Busan as a Mexican Woman... Arpina Invites Busan Travel Experience Essays

Last Year's Contest Winner, Picasso's Love for Busan

Have you heard of "Living in Busan for a Week"?

Claudia Picasso (30), a woman from Mexico, came to Busan to stay for exactly one week. She left Mexico, arrived in Korea on August 26, spent a week in Busan, and returned to Mexico on September 1.

Her Korean language skills are impressive. She has many friends in Busan and speaks the Gyeongsang-do dialect fluently. Last year, she won the Outstanding Foreigner Award in a domestic contest with an essay written in Korean. Busan Urban Corporation's Arpina offered a "One Week Stay at Arpina" accommodation voucher as a prize, which she won and embarked on an exciting K-tour.

Picasso is currently teaching Spanish to foreigners in Mexico. Ten years ago, while attending school, she became close with Korean friends who were studying abroad in Mexico, and that's how she learned Korean.

She first traveled to Busan last year. At that time, she discovered the travel essay contest hosted by Arpina and was thrilled. Wanting to return to Busan, she put her all into the contest. Her love and passion for Busan made winning the accommodation ticket almost a certainty.

During this one-week stay in Busan, she said, "The weather in Busan is wonderful, and the city is even more special because it has the sea. The beaches and summer sky are so beautiful, and I was able to relax and organize my thoughts. The warm people of Busan were delighted when I spoke Korean and kindly helped me, which was very touching," recalling her first trip to Busan last year.

While experiencing a week at Arpina, she said, "I start each day by looking at the sky from the balcony every morning. The unique experience at Cinema House in Arpina and the various amenities like the swimming pool were enough to wash away the fatigue of travel. Being close to Gwangalli and Haeundae beaches was an extra joy."

"There are many people around the world who love Korea. I want to encourage them to participate in the contest. It's a great opportunity to explain why you love Korea and Busan, and to share information with those who haven't visited yet. As I wrote my travel essay, memories of Busan came flooding back and I felt deeply moved."

She hopes to share the joy she felt during her week in Busan with others and wants to actively encourage participation in the travel essay contest. She is both a passionate ambassador for Busan travel and an advisor for travel essay writing.

Busan Urban Corporation Arpina (President Kim Yonghak) is now accepting entries for the "2024 Busan Travel Essay Contest." Now in its third year, the contest is open to both Koreans and foreigners who have traveled in Busan for at least two nights. Residents of Busan are also eligible. The only requirement is that the theme is travel in Busan.

The "Busan Travel Essay Contest" hosted by Busan Youth Hostel Arpina will close on September 25. Prizes include gift certificates worth a total of 22.4 million won, free accommodation vouchers, tablet PCs, and more.

Kim Yonghak, President of Busan Urban Corporation, said, "This year as well, we look forward to hearing interesting travel stories from many participants from Korea and abroad in the Busan Travel Essay Contest. We will continue our efforts to promote Busan's uniqueness and make it a charming city where people and cultures coexist."

Arpina is a leading youth training facility in Busan, operating various youth activity programs. Recently, it has gained attention as a trendy "workation hotspot" and offers a variety of enjoyable events for citizens and travelers, such as the "Arpina Photo Contest" and the "Arpina Blog Review Event."