Travel
Busan’s only zoo set for comeback as city and operator reach breakthrough deal
Haps Magazine Korea
January 27, 2026
(Photo by Samjeong the Park/courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)
Busan’s only zoo, The Park, which has been closed since 2020, is now expected to reopen as early as this year following a major breakthrough in long-running legal disputes between the city and the operator.
According to court proceedings on January 26 as reported in local media, Busan City and KB Real Estate Trust, representing Samjeong Group, reached a broad agreement for the city to purchase the zoo for less than 500 billion won.
Final details, including the exact purchase price and payment structure, are set to be confirmed at a second mediation session scheduled for February 9.
The agreement effectively brings an end to years of legal conflict that continued through a Supreme Court remand.
While the operator had previously demanded 500 billion won based on contractual claims, Busan had resisted. Changing financial conditions, including the operator’s corporate rehabilitation process, helped both sides move toward compromise.
The city has already selected a contractor to draft a basic operational plan for normalizing the Children’s Grand Park zoo. Once ownership is finalized, Busan will decide whether to operate the facility directly, establish a new corporation, or outsource management. Renovation work is expected to begin immediately after the transfer.
Busan aims to partially reopen the zoo by October, with a full reopening targeted for Children’s Day next year.
The city is also pursuing designation as a national Yeongnam regional hub zoo, which would enable central government funding and public donations to help offset operating costs.
Originally opened in 2005, The Park closed due to financial difficulties, reopened in 2014, and shut down again in 2020 amid continued losses.