From the Summer Night Market to the Winter Christmas Market
Over 326,000 Visitors
Establishing a New Night-Time Tourism Brand
The city of Ulsan announced that the "Ulsan Night, Story Night Market," which began at Taehwagang National Garden in the summer and continued to Ulsan Grand Park in the winter, has successfully concluded with strong support from citizens.
This night market, which aimed to support small business owners by revitalizing the local commercial district and adding seasonal themes to Ulsan's historical and cultural assets, was first launched in July as a summer event commemorating the inscription of the "Banguchon Petroglyphs" as a World Heritage Site, and continued through to the "Christmas Market" in December.
During the event period, a total of approximately 326,000 people visited, establishing the event as Ulsan’s leading night-time tourism brand.
In particular, the winter "Christmas Market," which ended on December 27, attracted 180,000 visitors despite the cold weather-more than double the number of visitors compared to the same period in the summer, drawing significant attention.
Family visitors flocked to photo sessions and gift delivery events with Santa Claus, enjoying the festive year-end atmosphere. The balloon art event, where volunteers from the H Volunteer Group made flowers and toys out of balloons as gifts, was especially popular among children, creating unforgettable memories and receiving an enthusiastic response.
Programs such as "Christmas Tree Making" and "Cookie Icing Experience," which were especially popular with children, also attracted many family visitors and added to the festival's fun.
This night market also served as a venue for local artists and citizens to interact through culture. A total of 23 teams-including five Ulsan youth art groups, two teams from the K-POP Academy, and 15 local artist teams-participated throughout both summer and winter, staging 44 busking performances that energized the venue.
The event delivered tangible results for local small business owners. A total of 77 teams participated in the pop-up stores across both summer and winter, offering food and handmade crafts, and achieved cumulative sales of over 500 million won, providing significant support to small business owners.
Vendors expressed their gratitude, saying, "The night market became a reliable support during the summer heat and the off-season in winter," while citizens responded, "We are very happy and proud to enjoy night markets with different atmospheres each season here in Ulsan."
A city official said, "Thanks to the support from citizens for the Story Night Market, Ulsan was able to take a step forward as a night tourism city," and added, "Next year, we will continue to create a sustainable night market that maximizes the charm of each season and the unique character of Ulsan, so that both small business owners and citizens can be satisfied."
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