This summer, Busan’s Bukhang will transform into an urban healing space where residents and tourists can care for both body and mind together.
The Busan Meditation Association (BMA) said it will hold ‘the 3rd Busan International Meditation Festival’ from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 1 at the grassy plaza in Bukhang Waterfront Park.
The event will be held in conjunction with ‘2026 Bukhang Ocean SUP FESTA’, a marine leisure festival, and is set to offer citizens a new healing experience through a complex wellness program that blends meditation and marine culture.
A Citizen-Participation Festival to Spread Meditation Culture in Daily Life
This year’s festival theme is ‘Meditation in Everyday Life’.
The program is designed so that anyone—professional practitioners as well as ordinary residents, college students, and foreign tourists—can participate freely. It aims to improve stress management and mental health for modern people and to spread a culture of caring for the mind.
In particular, because it takes place in the open setting of Bukhang Waterfront Park, which faces the sea, organizers expect participants to experience firsthand the benefits of meditation alongside the natural environment.
From Lying Meditation to Taekwngwon: Diverse Hands-On Programs
The event will begin with an opening ceremony, followed by welcoming remarks by the chairman of the Busan Meditation Association, Sujuk Sunim, and speeches by major invited guests.
Afterward, guided by Sujuk Sunim, the Lying Meditation Program, which runs for about 40 minutes, will give participants time to lie on the grassy plaza and focus on breathing and relaxation to restore comfort to both body and mind.
In the Taekwngwon demonstration that follows, organizers plan to introduce a traditional East Asian training method that boosts body balance and concentration through gentle movements.
A New Festival Model Where Marine Leisure Meets Wellness
After the meditation program ends, the ‘2026 Bukhang Ocean SUP FESTA’ opening ceremony will continue.
A key feature of this event is connecting a variety of marine leisure contents centered on SUP (stand-up paddleboards) with meditation programming into a single festival, and using that to suggest a healthy lifestyle.
The final part of the event will also include a congratulatory performance by singer Lee Seung-gi, providing summer-night cultural performances for both residents and tourists.
Bukhang Waterfront Park Draws Attention as a Wellness Destination in the City
Bukhang Waterfront Park in Busan, where the event will take place, is close to Busan Station and offers excellent accessibility. As an open space where the sea and the city blend together, it hosts a range of cultural events.
Following last year, the Busan Meditation Association will also hold an international meditation festival at the same location this year, putting meaning in spreading meditation as a daily-life culture that anyone can access easily.
Sujuk Sunim said, “Meditation is not practice reserved for only special people, but a way to manage mind health that anyone can practice in everyday life.” He added, “I hope that citizens and domestic and international tourists who visit Bukhang will have a time to put daily life on pause for a moment and experience rest and healing through meditation.”
Expectations for Growth as a Wellness Tourism Content Hub
Meanwhile, ‘2026 Bukhang Ocean SUP FESTA’ will run from July 31 to Aug. 9 at and around Bukhang Waterfront Park.
During the event period, a variety of contents are expected to be offered, including an international meditation festival, SUP experiences, a kids’ SUP pool, a moonboat experience, an UFO boat, a Luminous Run, and marine leisure programs.
Experts are paying attention to the possibility that this festival, which combines meditation and marine leisure, could become a new cultural content platform not only for improving residents’ mental and physical health but also for boosting Busan’s competitiveness in wellness tourism.
