Why visit Busan for Pachinko
Pachinko is an Apple TV+ series based on Min Jin Lee’s novel. Its heroine, Sunja, calls Yeongdo home — and Yeongdo is real: an island district of Busan joined to the city by bridges. The Busan Film Commission says a team of about 200 filmed in Busan for six days in November 2020, at ten locations, and that Yeongdo is the hometown of the heroine, Sunja. This guide covers the four of those ten that make good places to visit: Gamji Beach and Taejongdae on Yeongdo, Jagalchi Market across the harbor, and a footbridge in Beomil-dong.
What makes this walk different from a generic Busan tour is the thread of longing that runs through it. The commission says scenes of the older Sunja longing for her hometown were filmed by the shellfish-grill village and the shore at Gamji Beach. Standing on that pebble shore, looking out at the water Sunja crossed and came back to, the story stops being abstract. Taejongdae, the clifftop park at the island’s tip, gives you the island’s scale; Jagalchi, Korea’s most famous seafood market, gives you the working harbor that fed it; and the Beomil-dong footbridge gives you the everyday Busan in between.
Every place here is reported by the Busan Film Commission — one release, reported via Segye Ilbo and Sports Kyunghyang in April 2022 — so this guide labels them all reported rather than confirmed. A district office, a memorial park and a residential village from the same list are left out as places to visit, and the commission also names Centum City Station and BEXCO in Haeundae in text only. What remains is a half-day-to-full-day walk across Yeongdo and the harbor, best paired with a market meal.
Yeongdo, Sunja’s island
Yeongdo is an island district joined to central Busan by bridges. The Busan Film Commission says scenes of the older Sunja longing for home were filmed at Gamji Beach, and it also lists Taejongdae, the clifftop park at the island’s tip.
Gamji Beach, Yeongdo (감지해변). The Busan Film Commission says scenes of the older Sunja longing for her hometown were filmed by the shellfish-grill village and the shore at Gamji Beach. Getting there: from Nampo-dong, search the route to Yeongdo on Naver Map (English UI). Cost: free beach. Tips: a pebble shore on Yeongdo’s east side, next to Taejongdae. Pair it with Taejongdae in one outing — they sit side by side. Status: reported.
Taejongdae (태종대). The Busan Film Commission lists Taejongdae among the series’ Busan locations. Getting there: from Nampo-dong, search the route to Taejongdae on Naver Map (English UI). Cost: check the park’s official listing. Tips: a clifftop park at the southern tip of Yeongdo. Check the park’s official listing for opening hours and the road train. Status: reported.
Across the harbor
Jagalchi Market (자갈치시장). The Busan Film Commission lists Jagalchi Market among the series’ Busan locations. Getting there: nearest subway station — check Naver Map (English UI). Cost: free to walk; food priced by the stall. Tips: Busan’s big seafood market on the harbor. Stalls are working businesses: ask before photographing vendors. See the market-culture notes below before you go. Status: reported.
Beomil-dong footbridge (범일동 구름다리). The Busan Film Commission lists the footbridge among the series’ Busan locations. Getting there: Beomil-dong, Dong-gu — search the route on Naver Map (English UI). Cost: free. Tips: a pedestrian bridge in an everyday neighborhood; cross it like any other walker. No pin is shown for this stop. Status: reported.
Good to know: Traditional market (시장) culture
Jagalchi is Korea’s most famous traditional market. Here’s how to make the most of it — and any market you visit.
Korea’s traditional markets (시장) are the beating heart of neighborhood life — and a favorite K-drama backdrop for everything from chase scenes to quiet morning errands. Gwangjang Market in Seoul, Jagalchi in Busan, and the fifth-day markets of the countryside each have their own rhythm. Go hungry: markets are the best place to graze, from bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes) to freshly sliced hoe (raw fish). A few practical tips: carry some cash, as smaller vendors may not take cards; don’t be shy about tasting samples vendors offer — it’s part of the culture; and bargain gently at clothing or goods stalls, but not at food stalls where prices are fixed. Markets are busiest in the morning and around mealtimes. Many now have multilingual signage and food-tour programs, but learning two phrases helps enormously: “이거 얼마예요?” (igeo eolmaeyo — how much is this?) and “맛있어요” (masisseoyo — delicious). Remember that vendors work long hours in tight spaces — keep aisles clear and avoid blocking stalls when taking photos.
Getting there and planning your day
From Nampo-dong or Busan Station, search the route to Yeongdo on Naver Map (English UI). For a base, Nampo-dong / Jagalchi sits across the bridge from Yeongdo, and Yeongdo itself is Sunja’s island — either works. Do Gamji Beach and Taejongdae together on Yeongdo, then cross the harbor to Jagalchi; Beomil-dong is a separate stop in an everyday neighborhood.
From Seoul, you have two good options: KTX trains to Busan Station (about 2h40m; check Korail), or flights from Seoul Gimpo (GMP) to Busan Gimhae (PUS) — about 1h05m in the air, with one-way fares typically ₩35,000–110,000; check current prices. For door-to-door time, the KTX often wins once airport transfers are counted.
How we checked
Every place here is reported: all four come from one Busan Film Commission release (reported via Segye Ilbo and Sports Kyunghyang in April 2022; GQ Korea and Cine21 cite the same release), so no spot is confirmed. The commission’s list has ten Busan locations; this guide lists four as places to visit and leaves out a district office, a memorial park and a residential village (under redevelopment), plus Dongnae Byeoljang (a restaurant whose current operation is not confirmed from an official page). Centum City Station and BEXCO are mentioned in text only.
Photos are location photos of the real places, not drama stills, each with its credit and licence. All four stops plus the hero carry a KOGL Type 1 location photo: Gamji Beach (Busan Tourism Organization), Taejongdae (Busan Metropolitan City), Jagalchi Market (Busan Metropolitan City, shared with our Black Panther guide) and the Beomil-dong footbridge (Busan Metropolitan City). Spot status was last checked Sep 28, 2026. The guide text was enriched Oct 19, 2026 from the sources already listed, with no status changes.
More filming walks
For more films and dramas shot in the city, see our Busan hub. Jagalchi Market also appears in our Black Panther in Busan guide, and Busan’s forests appear in our Exhuma guide.
Sources
All sources for this guide
Accessed Sep 28, 2026 (Asia/Seoul) unless noted.
- Segye Ilbo — Pachinko’s Busan locations (Busan Film Commission, Apr 29, 2022)
- Sports Kyunghyang — Same release (Apr 29, 2022)
- GQ Korea — Where Pachinko filmed in Busan
- Cine21 — Busan Film Commission archive: Pachinko in Busan
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