Promoting Ulsan as an Advanced International City of Culture and Sports
and a Glocal Tourism City
On the 14th at 11 a.m., Ulsan City announced its major tasks for 2025 in the fields of culture, tourism, and sports at the City Hall Press Center, stating that it will “make every effort to create a prosperous cultural, tourism, and sports city in Ulsan where Ulsan residents and people from around the world come together.”
This year’s key tasks include numerous diverse and substantial projects aimed at advancing Ulsan as an advanced international cultural and sports city and a glocal tourism city.
First, in the cultural sector, to expand the cultural base and spread cultural spaces in a rich and abundant daily life, the city will promote ▲Ulsan Ai Culture Pass project (new) ▲construction of a world-class performance hall representing Ulsan ▲creation of a hub for core industry content (new) ▲legal cultural city project, among others.
The Ulsan Ai Culture Pass project is promoted as part of the Ulbusim project for Ulsan residents. It is a project that provides a culture pass card worth about 100,000 KRW to all children of elementary school age (7 to 12 years old) so they can enjoy various cultural, artistic, and sports experiences. After system construction and preparation, it is scheduled to be implemented after March.
Through the legal cultural city creation project, the first to be designated among metropolitan cities, Ulsan aims to resolve cultural imbalances among citizens and transform into a metropolitan-type cultural city by operating various citizen-led programs such as metropolitan and district-specific projects and creating cultural hub spaces.
Additionally, a world-class performance hall will be built at Samsan Landfill to make it a landmark representing Ulsan, and by establishing cultural infrastructure connected to the world, the city plans to strengthen the Ulsan brand image.
In the tourism sector, efforts will be made to secure new tourism demand and strengthen regional tourism competitiveness through ▲creation of a barrier-free tourism city (new) ▲development of tourism content and strategic promotion (marketing) linked with southern region metropolitan tourism development ▲foundation for fostering a “signature” international conference and preparation for designation of an international conference district (new) ▲introduction and operation of electric carriages (velotaxis) (new), among others.
By establishing a barrier-free tourism information center and operating barrier-free vans, Ulsan aims to become a city where anyone can travel conveniently. To discover destinations where visitors stay longer, it will also promote the development of stay-type tourism content and strategic marketing linked with southern region metropolitan tourism development.
Moreover, velotaxis (electric carriages) will be introduced at Taehwagang National Garden and Ulsan Grand Park to provide unique tourism content that can secure new tourism demand.
In particular, Ulsan plans to lay the foundation for fostering its own “signature” international conferences and thoroughly prepare for the designation of an international conference district to leap forward as a world-class glocal tourism city.
Furthermore, in cooperation with related organizations, Ulsan will thoroughly prepare to successfully register the Banggucheon Rock Carvings as a UNESCO World Heritage site in July, and through landscape improvement of Dongmaesan Wetlands and establishment of a comprehensive maintenance plan, it aims to develop the Banggucheon area into a world-class historical and cultural tourism attraction.
In the sports sector, to create a global advanced sports city where everyone can enjoy and dream, Ulsan will focus on hosting international events and expanding sports infrastructure by promoting ▲World Elite University Rowing Festival (August 2025) ▲World Archery Championship (October 2025) ▲construction of Munsu Indoor Tennis Court (2024?2025) and Dongcheon Gymnasium auxiliary stadium (2023?2026) ▲construction of Canoe Slalom Center (2024?2028), expansion of Munsu Baseball Stadium and establishment of a youth hostel (2024?2027) ▲creation of public golf courses (2023?2028) and two park golf courses (2023?2026).
The World Elite University Rowing Festival, which attracted great attention last year with participation from prestigious university teams such as Oxford and Harvard, plans to expand the number of participating countries and teams this year to develop into a global sports festival.
The park golf courses being created at Yeocheon Landfill and Gangdong Tourism Complex will also be used as venues for the 2028 International Garden Expo, establishing healing sports spaces harmonized with Ulsan’s nature.
In particular, Yeocheon Landfill, which was formerly a household waste landfill, is expected to be transformed into a “golf course within a garden” located in a buffer green space resembling a garden through this project.
Regarding the promotion of major tasks in culture, tourism, and sports this year, Ulsan City plans to continuously consult with relevant central government departments to resolve difficulties discovered through on-site inspections of major cultural organizations.
A city official said, “Ulsan is transforming from a city that only works into a city that creates high value-added industries in culture, tourism, and sports, where all citizens can enjoy rest and leisure,” adding, “We will gather all administrative capabilities to create ‘Dream City Ulsan,’ where industry, culture, and citizens’ lives harmonize.”
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