Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
buying up South Korean clothing, electronics, and cosmetics in bulk and reselling
them at a substantial markup in the remote communities that dot Russia's Pacific
frontier. A sizable network of shops, nightclubs, and restaurants have sprung up to
serve these visitors, and in the evening it's possible to walk stretches of the neighbor-
hood and believe you're in another country as tables full of people huddle together
over bottles of vodka or steaming bowls of borscht.
Interestingly, the Russians were far from the first foreign arrivals to frequent this
area. As the name of one of its main drags—Texas Street—implies, it was once the
preferred playground of U.S. soldiers looking to blow off steam, a bawdy stretch of
raucous bars, street food vendors, and peddlers of counterfeit goods. Even further
back, it was part of one of the country's first officially designated foreign settlements,
opened as a trading post for Japanese merchants some 400 years ago.
Some vestiges of the area's 20th-century seediness remain, but the vendors are
now focused on a new batch of customers. City authorities seem to have endorsed the
district's quirkiness, and continue the tradition of abandoning it to non-Koreans, by
naming the former Texas Street a special “shopping street for foreigners” where all
sorts of low-priced delights and exotic experiences await travelers. So far, the Russi-
ans appear to be the only people who have really taken notice.
Daily Life
According to official statistics there are over 40,000 foreign nationals living in Busan. It's
not a massive foreign population, but it's certainly an active one. The city has a good range
of support networks and associations for non-Koreans, including clubs for activities such as
sailing, hiking, and shooting, groups for expatriate women and spouses of South Koreans,
even a branch of the Democrats Abroad. There are also several churches, Buddhist temples,
and small mosques that run services for foreign residents. The expat community even has
its own publication in
Busan Haps,
a bimonthly magazine that's a clearinghouse of news
and information on events, foreign food enclaves, and nightlife, and a handful of commu-
nity websites, including Busan Awesome and Koreabridge.
Much of the expatriate social scene revolves around the internationally themed pubs,
clubs, and restaurants of Haeundae, although there are also popular meeting places in
Seomyeon, Gwangalli, and the Pusan National University district, which tends to draw a
younger crowd.
