Busan: big-city Korea with the beach on the subway line

Finding your footing: The Busan Global Center is the city's help desk for foreign residents. It's on the 13th floor of the National Pension Service building, at exit 2 of City Hall Station on Line 1, and runs counseling, interpretation and Korean classes for residents on visas longer than 90 days. Its call center is 1577-7716. With fewer foreigners than Seoul, most people build a circle through work, classes and language exchanges rather than walking into a ready-made expat scene.

Healthcare: Busan St. Mary's Hospital has an International Medical Center that offers English-language help, and its emergency center is open 24 hours. The city also places interpreters, English among them, at the public Busan Medical Center by reservation. After six months in Korea you're enrolled in the National Health Insurance Service, the same public plan Koreans use, with premiums set by income and property. Arrange private coverage for the first six months.

Schools: Busan Foreign School in Haeundae teaches an American, Common Core-based curriculum with AP courses and is WASC accredited; at least one parent must hold non-Korean citizenship. The International School of Busan in Gijang teaches the International Baccalaureate. Ask each school about current tuition and openings.

Remote work: Home internet runs about $20 a month, and coworking spaces cluster in Seomyeon and Centum City. Korea doesn't use daylight saving time, so Busan is 13 to 14 hours ahead of Eastern, by season. Because Busan is outside the Seoul region, remote workers aged 18 to 34 can qualify for the lower income tier of the F-1-D workation visa.

LGBTQ expats: Busan held its first Queer Culture Festival on Gunam-ro in Haeundae in 2017 and a second in 2018, both met by church protests. Organizers canceled the 2019 festival after the Haeundae district refused permission. South Korea doesn't recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions, though the Supreme Court ruled in July 2024 that same-sex partners can get dependent coverage on public health insurance. Expect a community that exists but keeps a low public profile.

Black Americans: A 2022 academic study of Black residents in Korea found Black Americans were treated better than Black Africans but faced more discrimination than white Americans. Personal accounts are warmer: Candace Green, a teacher from Texas, wrote for Travel Noire about living a ten-minute walk from the beach in Haeundae and loving it. One visiting American student group found the staring stronger in Busan than in Seoul. Expect attention, especially away from the beach districts.

Limited mobility: Busan's name is often glossed as "many mountains," and dense neighborhoods climb steep valley sides. The city has added fixes, like the inclined elevator in Jwacheon-dong, where more than half the riders are elderly, and the transit operator publishes elevator locations for its stations. Before you commit to an apartment, check for an elevator in the building and at your nearest station.

Retirement: South Korea has no retirement visa. Americans of Korean heritage may qualify for the F-4 overseas Korean visa; most others are left with investment routes such as the F-5-5 investor visa. Compare options in our guide to retirement visas and the full guide to moving to South Korea.