Nurimaru APEC House is a round, glassy structure situated on the edge of the forested peninsula to the west of Haeundae Beach. The building hosted the 2005 APEC Leaders’ Meeting and can be reached with a scenic hike through the forest. Visit the house and take a tour of the state-of-the-art facility, with its beautiful views of Gwangan Bridge and the Busan coast.
APEC, or the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, is comprised of the trade organisations of 21 Pacific Rim nations, including South Korea, Chile and the United States. APEC held its annual Leaders’ Meeting in Busan in 2005 and the Nurimaru APEC House was purpose-built for the occasion.
Take a tour of the 3,000-square-metre (32,000-square-foot) house that now contains a museum in honour of the Leaders’ Meeting. Visit the auditorium to see the round table at which the meeting was held, preserved for future generations. The museum even preserved the meal that was served during the Leaders’ Meeting.
Reach the third-floor entrance to see the 6.6-metre (21.6-foot) intricate piece of lacquerwork featuring mother-of-pearl detailing, by Kim Gyu-Jang. Note the 12 symbols of longevity: sun, cloud, mountain, rock, water, crane, deer, turtle, pine, herb of eternal youth, bamboo and mythical peach.
The building looks out over the ocean from the southern tip of Dongbaekseom Island, a peninsula covered in forest just to the west of Haeundae Beach. Visit during low tide to hop across the rocks between the Nurimaru APEC House and the sea and discover rock pools. Explore the area on a longer hike on the forest paths and cross a rope bridge, suspended above the waves.
Find the lighthouse to the east of Nurimaru and visit it free of charge. Climb up its winding stairs to see a wide view of Haeundae Beach, Dalmaji Hill and the Busan coastline.
Nurimaru APEC House is connected to bus and train stations, but they are several minutes’ walk from the building. Parking is available for a fee in the car park on the peninsula’s northwest area, but the building can only be accessed via a walk along the forest track. Nurimau APEC House has no admission fee.
