Food & Drink
Busan and Castelldefels launch global culinary exchange
Haps Magazine Korea
August 27, 2025
(Photo by City of Busan / Photo courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)
Busan has begun a new chapter in international culinary cooperation with Castelldefels, Spain with the two cities pledged to collaborate on food culture exchange and future gastronomic projects.
The talks between Busan Mayor Park Heong-jun, Castelldefels Mayor Manuel Reyes López, and City Councilor Guillermo Masana Romero.held at Busan City Hall last week came ahead of the 2026 annual general meeting of the World Cities of Gastronomy Association (Délice Network), which will be hosted in Castelldefels.
Busan is currently the only Korean city in the association, which includes 25 member cities worldwide.
Both cities agreed to expand cooperation through initiatives such as mutual invitations to major culinary events, including the Busan International Food Expo, the Busan Marina Chef Challenge, and the Castelldefels Gourmet Festival.
Plans also include chef and culinary student exchange programs, co-hosted gastronomy festivals, and joint projects within the Délice Network.
Mayor Manuel Reyes López emphasized the importance of the partnership, expressing hopes to showcase Castelldefels’ culinary culture in Busan while also welcoming Busan’s chefs to Spain for future events.
Busan, for its part, continues to strengthen its identity as a “Gourmet City,” with initiatives such as the Taste of Busan restaurant guidebook, creative local recipe development under the B-FOOD project, and the AI-powered “Busan Olleng” platform, which generates multilingual menus for local eateries.