Ulsan Sports Park to Become a Sports and Leisure Hub Following Greenbelt Deregulation

The First Pledge of the 8th Civil Administration 'Development Restriction Zone Lift No. 2' Confirmed for Ulsan Sports Park

Significant Expansion of Public Sports Infrastructure to Leap Toward a World-Class Advanced Sports City

Ulsan Sports Park is returning to the citizens of Ulsan.

On the 20th, the Ulsan Urban Planning Committee decided to lift the development restriction on the 930,000㎡ site of Ulsan Sports Park, located in Okdong, Mugeo-dong, and Cheongnyang-eup, Ulju-gun.

As the Ulsan Sports Park site has been released from the development restriction zone, Kim Doo-gyeom, Mayor of Ulsan, held a press conference at the City Hall Press Center on the 20th, announcing plans to expand Munsu Baseball Stadium, construct a new youth hostel, and build the nation's first urban canoe slalom center. He stated that these efforts aim to create spaces where citizens can enjoy various sports activities and enhance convenience facilities to increase utilization.

This lifting of restrictions was promoted to expand the insufficient convenience facilities of Ulsan Sports Park and increase its utilization through facility diversification, as part of the first pledge of the 8th local government administration to lift development restrictions.

Since its establishment for the 2002 World Cup, Ulsan Sports Park has consistently raised the need for facility expansion such as restrooms and parking lots, but approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport was essential due to development restriction regulations.

Additionally, there were difficulties in lifting the restrictions because the park contains a Grade 1 environmental assessment reservoir and Grade 1 and 2 trees.

In response, Ulsan City prepared measures to minimize forest damage and water pollution and engaged in prolonged persuasion efforts targeting the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Environment.

As a result, the goal was achieved with difficulty, and the lifting was finally decided through the Ulsan Urban Planning Committee on this day. The development restriction on the Ulsan Sports Park area is scheduled to be officially lifted on November 28.

After the lifting, Ulsan City plans to strengthen regional sports competitiveness by expanding various sports facilities and attracting international sports events.

The spectator seats at Munsu Baseball Stadium will be expanded from about 12,000 to approximately 17,000 seats, and a youth hostel with 100 rooms will be newly built to accommodate about 300 athletes.

Through this, various sports events such as professional baseball and the KBO education league will be hosted, enhancing the status of Ulsan as a baseball city.

The country’s first urban canoe slalom center (stadium) will also be constructed. This facility, meeting international competition standards, will have training facilities for hosting international competitions and nurturing professional athletes, expanding the base of water sports and strengthening Ulsan’s competitiveness as a sports city. In the off-season, it will be used as a space where citizens can enjoy various sports activities such as rafting, canoe experiences, water play, and ice skating.

Near Okdong Reservoir, a three-story convenience facility with a convenience store, rest stop restaurant, and book caf? will be built. Especially, the third-floor observatory will allow visitors to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Okdong Reservoir, providing a healing space for citizens visiting the sports park.

To resolve parking difficulties occurring during large-scale sports events, a dedicated parking building will be constructed in the tennis and soccer parking lots, securing an additional total of about 1,000 parking spaces.

In addition, an eight-court indoor tennis hall will be newly established at Munsu Tennis Court, providing an all-weather sports environment where citizens can enjoy tennis regardless of climate changes.

An official from Ulsan City stated, “Through this lifting of development restrictions, Ulsan Sports Park will be reborn as a center for sports and leisure,” and emphasized, “We will develop Ulsan into an international sports hub city through various facilities such as the youth hostel and canoe slalom center.”

Ulsan City Hall.