Haeundae and Gwangalli are in quite different leagues...

I get the feeling that Haeundae is a tourist destination that has been systematically developed and managed with great care by both the national and local governments for a long time.
There are A-class accommodation and entertainment facilities lined up along the beach, food villages and commercial facilities that feel well-organized by district, and a blessed natural environment surrounded by Dongbaekseom Island, Dalmaji Hill, Mipo, and Cheongsapo... Also, while some might call it a mismatch, there is the visual impact of skyscrapers like LCT directly meeting the ocean...
On the other hand, Gwangalli feels somewhat cluttered, with commercial facilities touching the beach, and the Samick Beach Town and Millak Raw Fish Town that flank Gwangalli also feel a bit "off"... Overall, it feels less organized.
The same goes for the paths from the subway stations (Haeundae Station and Gwangalli Station, respectively) to the sandy beach. Haeundae has a certain "tourist destination" aura just from the Gu-yeok-sa area and Haeridan-gil, with commercial zones stretching all the way to the beach, but when you first step out of Gwangalli Station, you almost wonder, "Is this really the way to Gwangalli?"
Without the Gwangan Bridge, it might have been difficult to gain nationwide popularity like it has now, but it feels like it's being carried by that single S-class resource, the Gwangan Bridge?
However, when it comes to that bustling, noisy, and crowded atmosphere, Gwangalli definitely has the edge.
Now that I've written it down, it seems they just have different charms ^^;