Dongbaekseom and Nurimaru APEC House Walk

At one end of Haeundae Beach, a small wooded headland holds a walking path, a famous scholar’s name carved in rock, and a building that hosted a world summit. Dongbaekseom Island and Nurimaru APEC House make an easy short walk. This guide covers what the sources say, how to get there, and what we could not confirm.

Every fact comes from a named source. We checked them on 1 October 2026.

Dongbaekseom Island (동백섬)

A rocky shore and calm water at Dongbaekseom with the high-rise towers of Marine City across the bay — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) says Dongbaekseom (“Island of Camellias”) sits off one end of Haeundae Beach. Over the years sediment connected it to the mainland, but it still carries the name island. A walking path runs around it. KTO lists these sights:

a monument inscribed with a poem by the scholar Choi Chi-won
a mermaid statue based on the legend of Princess Hwagok
Nurimaru APEC House
views toward Mipo, Dalmaji Hill, Gwangandaegyo Bridge and Oryukdo Island

KTO says camellias bloom across the island from winter to spring, so they may not be in bloom when you visit in autumn. The island is open 24 hours and KTO lists parking as free.

Visit Busan, the city’s official tourism site, adds that the name “Haeundae” comes from the Silla-era scholar Choi Chi-won, who admired the island’s beauty and carved his name on a rock.

Nurimaru APEC House (누리마루 APEC하우스)

Nurimaru APEC House seen across a pavilion and a rocky shore with the bridge in the distance — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

KTO says Nurimaru APEC House, on Dongbaekseom, was the venue of the 2005 APEC Summit. It has since been used as a memorial hall and a conference center. The three-story building is a modern recreation of a traditional Korean pavilion, and its roof is inspired by the slope of the island. KTO says the terrace gives a view of the Oryukdo Islets, Gwangandaegyo Bridge and Dalmaji Hill.

Hours and fee. KTO and Visit Busan both list entry as free. KTO gives 09:00 to 18:00, with the last admission at 17:00. Visit Busan’s Nurimaru page also says 09:00 to 18:00, but its Dongbaekseom walking page says 09:00 to 17:00. So treat 17:00 as the safe time to arrive. The building is closed on the first Monday of every month. KTO lists parking as available.

How to Get There

Metro: Busan Metro Line 2 to Dongbaek Station (동백역) Exit 1. Visit Busan gives different walking times on different pages: 14 minutes, 17 minutes and 20 minutes. Use a map app for the exact walk.
Bus: Buses 139, 307 or 1003 stop at the entrance to Dongbaekseom Island, according to Visit Busan.
City Tour Bus: The Red Line from Busan Station stops at Haeundae Beach. See our Busan City Tour Bus guide.
Parking: Dongbaek Park Parking Lot, per Visit Busan. KTO lists island parking as free. We did not check the price at the lot.

Phone numbers listed: Dongbaekseom +82-51-749-7621, Nurimaru +82-51-743-1974.

Nurimaru APEC House with its glass roof lit by sunset colors above the rocky coast — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

A Simple Plan

This is our suggestion, not a sourced route.

Walk the path around Dongbaekseom.
Visit Nurimaru APEC House by 17:00. Our sources give closing times of 17:00 and 18:00, and the last admission is 17:00.
Continue to Haeundae Beach. If you want more, see Dalmaji Road or Haeundae Market.

Visit Busan has a page about Nurimaru as a night walk. We did not confirm an after-dark opening for the building, so plan to enter it in daylight.

First-Timer Tips

Check the date. Nurimaru is closed on the first Monday of each month.
The path is a walk, not a hike. We did not find a sourced distance or time, so allow an easy hour as a guess.
Bring a camera for the Marine City and bridge views.

FAQ

Is Nurimaru APEC House free? Yes, KTO and Visit Busan list entry as free.

Is Dongbaekseom really an island? KTO says it was an island but is now joined to the mainland by sediment.

When is Nurimaru closed? On the first Monday of every month, according to KTO.

How long is the walk from Dongbaek Station? Visit Busan gives 14, 17 and 20 minutes on different pages, so use a map app.

What We Could Not Confirm

The length and time of the island path.
Whether Nurimaru is open after dark.
The parking price.
The exact walk from Dongbaek Station.

Related guides

We post short first-timer guides on Instagram too: @rolo.koreaguide.

Sources

Checked on 1 Oct 2026.

Korea Tourism Organization, TourAPI (English service): Haeundae Dongbaekseom Island (content ID 1751530), Nurimaru APEC House (2656728). Photographs from these listings (KOGL Type 3), used unaltered.
Visit Busan (official Busan tourism site): “Dongbaekseom Island: Where Natural Beauty and History …”, https://www.visitbusan.net/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000301001001000&uc_seq=2274&lang_cd=en ; Nurimaru APEC House page, https://www.visitbusan.net/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000301001001000&uc_seq=2121&lang_cd=en ; Walking Tour page (20-minute walk, bus routes, 09:00–17:00 note), https://www.visitbusan.net/en/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000302004001000&uc_seq=284&lang_cd=en . All three pages were read 1 Oct 2026.