Busan’s Yeongdo Bridge, Raised at Noon: Crossing the Promise of Evacuation from 1934

A lift bridge built on November 23, 1934, to connect Yeongdo Island with the mainland

Yeongdodaegyo Bridge is a land-connecting bridge linking Nampo-dong in Jung-gu, Busan, with Daegyo-dong in Yeongdo-gu. Construction began in April 1932 to transport goods, and the bridge opened on November 23, 1934, initially under the name “Busan Bridge.” After the new Busan Bridge opened in 1980, it was renamed Yeongdodaegyo Bridge, its current name.

Because Yeongdo is an island without a railway, people traveled between the island and the mainland by ferry before Yeongdodaegyo Bridge was built. The original bridge was a single-leaf lift bridge whose roadway was raised when ships passed, and trams also operated across the bridge from February 1935. The current bridge is 215 m long, 25.3–27.86 m wide, and has six lanes for two-way traffic; the lift section is 31.3 m long.

When to watch Yeongdodaegyo Bridge lift once a day at noon for about 15 minutes

The main attraction at Yeongdodaegyo Bridge is the daily lift operation at noon. When the lift begins, vehicle and pedestrian traffic are restricted, and the roadway on the Yeongdo side is raised. Watching the lift is free, and no reservation is required.

To watch the lift, it is safest to arrive at the pedestrian areas on either side of the bridge around 11:40 a.m. Rather than trying to watch only from the bridge itself, consider viewpoints where you can see the roadway rise from the side, such as the area around Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch on the Nampo-dong side or the Daegyo-dong pedestrian path on the Yeongdo side. On the day of your visit, check guidance from the Busan Infrastructure Corporation for any changes in operation due to rain, strong winds, or other on-site conditions.

The memory of Busan, the wartime refugee capital, behind “Let’s Meet at Yeongdo Bridge”

Yeongdodaegyo Bridge is a place connected to the separation experiences of refugees during the Korean War. People who came down to Busan during the war used the area around Yeongdo Bridge as a meeting place in hopes of finding separated family members, and this memory overlaps with the era depicted in Hyun-in’s song “Be Strong, Geum-sun.”

Near the bridge are a monument commemorating the lift bridge and a monument commemorating Hyun-in’s song. The lift function was suspended in 1966 because it caused traffic inconvenience, but it began operating again when the new Yeongdodaegyo Bridge, built after demolishing the old bridge and restoring its lift function, opened on November 27, 2013. If you are visiting mainly to explore the history, a 40–60-minute route that includes both memorial sites after crossing the bridge is suitable.

An 8-minute route from Nampo Station on Line 1 to Yeongdodaegyo Bridge, starting on the Nampo-dong side

Busan Metro Line 1 makes it easy to reach Yeongdodaegyo Bridge from the Nampo-dong side. From Exit 6 of Nampo Station, follow the direction of Gwangbok-ro and Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch, and you can reach the bridge entrance in about 8–10 minutes. After watching the lift, you can cross the bridge directly and continue to Daegyo-dong, Yeongdo-gu.

For buses, using the “Yeongdodaegyo Bridge” stop is convenient. Bus routes serving the Yeongdo area may be reorganized from time to time, so it is best to check the stop name and arrival information for the day on the Busan Bus Information System. It is difficult to find dedicated parking at Yeongdodaegyo Bridge itself, and visitors must use paid or public parking lots around Nampo-dong and Jagalchi or on the Yeongdo side, making public transportation preferable for viewing the noon lift on weekends.

• Starting point: Exit 6 of Nampo Station on Busan Metro Line 1
• Walking distance: Approximately 8–10 minutes
• Recommended stay: 40–60 minutes, including the lift viewing
• Viewing method: Free viewing from the bridge pedestrian path and pedestrian areas on both banks

Jagalchi Market and Gukje Market, within 1 km after crossing Yeongdodaegyo Bridge

On the Nampo-dong side, Jagalchi Market and Gukje Market are easy to combine into one route. Jagalchi Market is approximately 500 m from Yeongdodaegyo Bridge, and the food alley in Gukje Market is also within walking distance. A route that visits the market in the morning and then moves to the area around the bridge at about 11:40 a.m. to watch the noon lift minimizes unnecessary walking.

After crossing to Yeongdo, you can view the structure of the bridge itself and the Nampo-dong skyline from the opposite side. However, Yeongdodaegyo Bridge is an active roadway, so do not stop at the edge of the vehicle lanes or enter the restricted area just before the lift. Visitors with limited mobility may find it more convenient to watch from the spacious pedestrian areas on the Nampo-dong side, taking into account the slope of the pedestrian path and the crowds.

Two things to avoid if you only want photographs: restrictions just before the lift and vehicle congestion at noon

Yeongdodaegyo Bridge is an active roadway used by vehicles, not a facility such as an observation deck or museum with designated visiting hours. Therefore, although there is no admission closing time, traffic is restricted before and after the lift, and crowds and vehicle flows overlap at noon. Rather than walking back and forth across the entire bridge, stroller and wheelchair users are better off watching the lift from one pedestrian area and then planning to move toward a nearby commercial facility with an elevator or a subway entrance.

Yeongdodaegyo Bridge is better suited to travelers who want to see the mechanical movement at noon together with Busan’s modern and contemporary history than to those expecting nighttime lighting and harbor scenery. Reading the historical information boards, memorial monuments, and song monument can help visitors understand not only the bridge’s architectural features but also the lives of refugees who gathered in Busan in the 1950s.