Should Filming Be Allowed? Busan’s Cherry Blossom Road Faces Backlash Over Restrictions

[Herald Economy = Reporter Na Eun-jeong] Busan’s beloved cherry blossom lane sparked backlash after crews shut part of it off to film a drama.

According to Yonhap on the 3rd, a Netflix series filmed on the Gaegum Cultural Cherry Blossom Path in Busanjin District for two nights, working from evening into the early morning starting on the 1st. On one night, crews blocked roughly a 20-meter (about 66 ft) stretch of the main deck path from around 6:30 p.m. until dawn to continue shooting.

The path isn’t long, but its old neighborhood houses and soft pink blooms have made it a viral “Japanese-style” cherry blossom spot among younger visitors. With the trees at peak bloom and crowds flocking at sunset, people were left disappointed and frustrated when a prime section was closed off.

The closed section was short but included a well-known photo spot. Production also turned off some nighttime decorative lights, and equipment and vehicles occupied the narrow path, raising safety concerns.

A tourist from Seoul said, “Some people must have waited a year to see this lane in full bloom. I don’t get why one production would treat the trail like private property and film there. With tourists and crowds watching the shoot all jammed into the narrow lane, it looked dangerous.”

Complaints also poured in on social media. On Threads and other platforms, users posted that the production’s heavy-handed restrictions ruined their cherry blossom visits.

Anger grew because there was little advance notice about the closures; officials only hung a single banner at the trailhead announcing the shoot.

The bigger issue, authorities say, is that clear standards for permitting road or sidewalk occupation during shoots are lacking. The production company and the Busan Film Commission, which supported the location, did not obtain a separate road-occupation permit. Instead, they asked Busanjin District Office and the police for cooperation, stating they did not block a vehicle road.

Critics argue local governments often focus on the promotional benefits of filming and don’t adequately assess the inconvenience and safety risks for residents and visitors.