Busan Songdo Beach: 2.62 million visitors in 2024, 268 licensed places to stay

Songdo Beach opened in Busan in 1913. Here is what public data says about visitor numbers, car park fees, water tests, the nearest emergency rooms and pharmacies, and places to stay nearby.

Busan Songdo Beach sits at the southern tip of Gunban Peninsula in Amnam-dong, Seo District. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, it is 3 km from Jagalchi Market and was the first beach in Busan to open, in 1913. The sand stretches 1,100 m and is 11 m wide. A renovation that began in 2000 and ran for about five years widened the shrunken beach and added a fountain and other features. The fish market and Amnam Park are close by.

Visitor numbers peaked in 2017

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries figures put Songdo at 7.53 million visitors in 2015, 9.48 million in 2016, 10.52 million in 2017 and 8.44 million in 2018. The busiest year between 2015 and 2024 was 2017. The count was 6.80 million in 2019, then fell to 1.82 million in 2020 and 1.05 million in 2021. It has since recovered to 3.64 million in 2022, 2.14 million in 2023 and 2.62 million in 2024. That is 39% of the 2019 level. The beach is quieter than it used to be, but 2.62 million visitors a year is still a lot for a city beach, so expect crowds on summer weekends.

Visitors per year. Gold bars: 2020–2021.

Parking: the nearest public car parks all charge

These are the closest public car parks in Korea's national parking registry. None within 2 km is registered as free. All of them list the same fee: 300 won for 10 minutes, then 300 won for each extra 10 minutes.

Car park (Korean name)	From the beach	Spaces	Fee	Hours
Amnam-dong No. 7 public car park (암남동제7공영)	180 m	28	300 won / 10 min	11:00-23:00
Songdo public car park (송도공영)	340 m	49	300 won / 10 min	00:00-23:59
Amnam-dong No. 2 public car park (암남동제2공영)	420 m	31	300 won / 10 min	11:00-23:00
Amnam-dong No. 1 public car park (암남동제1공영)	450 m	30	300 won / 10 min	10:00-22:00
Amnam-dong No. 8 public car park (암남동제8공영)	460 m	50	300 won / 10 min	11:00-23:00

Most lots open at 11:00. If you arrive early, Songdo public car park is the safest bet. This is registry data, so check the signs on site.

Is the water clean?

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries tested the seawater at Songdo 12 times in 2025, and all 12 results were rated suitable. Nine toilets are registered near the beach.

If you need a doctor

The nearest emergency room is Kosin University Gospel Hospital (고신대학교복음병원), a regional emergency medical centre 0.5 km away. Yeongdo Hospital (영도병원), a local emergency facility, is 2.7 km away. Newsongdo Pharmacy (뉴송도약국) and Saessak Pharmacy (새싹약국) are 0.1 km from the beach, and Jeongseong Pharmacy (정성약국) is 0.2 km. None of them is registered as open on Sundays, so plan to find another pharmacy that day. In an emergency, call 119. For an accident at sea, call the Korea Coast Guard on 122. The nearest coast guard station is Gamcheon (감천파출소), 1.8 km away.

Where to stay

There are 268 licensed places to stay within 3 km of the beach. Motels and inns lead with 172, followed by 47 hotels, 41 residences and 8 other lodgings. Pensions and farm-stay minbak are registered under a different system, so they are not in these numbers. For camping, Yeongdo Marino Auto Camping (영도 마리노 오토캠핑장), a general campsite, is 4.9 km away.

What else is nearby

Amnam Park was opened to the public in April 1996 after years as a restricted military zone. It has a viewing deck over Songdo's coast and Busan's South Port, plus a 3.8 km walking path. There is also a sky bridge and a boat pier, so many visitors combine a swim with a walk.

Distances are straight-line. Opening hours and fees can change, so check again before you travel. Emergency 119 · Coast Guard 122