Homes and Rice Fields Scattered, Factories and Apartments Gathered... Ulsan City Publishes 'Gathering and Scattering 1995'

Ulsan History Research Institute Captures Changes in Samsan-dong and Hwangseong-dong

Where houses once disappeared, factories gathered, and as high-rise buildings clustered on the fields, a massive residential town emerged. A book that records the transformation of neighborhoods as they gather and disperse has attracted attention.

A book documenting the changes in Samsan-dong, which has transformed into Ulsan's largest residential area, and the disappearance of Hwangseong-dong due to the creation of the petrochemical complex, has been published.

The city of Ulsan announced that it will hold a seminar for the publication of the book 'Gathering and Dispersing 1995' at 2 p.m. on the 1st floor Citizen Hall of the city council on the 15th.

About 70 people, including Ulsan Mayor Kim Doo-gyeom, Ulsan Research Institute President Pyeon Sanghoon, and Ulsan History Research Institute Director Han Samgeon, will attend the event. The event will proceed in the order of a congratulatory speech by the mayor, an introduction of the book, an exhibition explanation, and a Q&A session between the research team and attendees who participated in the publication.

'Gathering and Dispersing 1995' is a collection of Ulsan lifestyle and culture research materials compiled by the Ulsan History Research Institute (Director Han Samgeon) over the past year through field surveys, oral interviews with residents, and cadastral map verification since May last year. The title was chosen to highlight the stark contrast in the changes of Samsan-dong and Hwangseong-dong around the year 1995.

Samsan-dong was once a vast rice field, but after 1995, it grew into the central residential and business district of Ulsan. In contrast, Hwangseong-dong had a larger population than Samsan-dong at the time of the groundbreaking of the Ulsan Industrial Center in 1962, but now it has become an industrial complex with no residents.

With the publication of this book, the exact location of Samsan Airfield has been identified for the first time. The locations of Jeongdonggang and Yeocheongang rivers, as well as the salt fields that once existed in Samsan-dong, have also been confirmed. Through oral interviews with longtime residents, the book includes photos of heavy equipment flattening the three peaks that gave Samsan (meaning "three mountains") its name, as well as the old Guamjeong Pavilion that once stood in Samsan-dong. The changed coastline of Hwangseong-dong and the locations of now-vanished villages were also identified by comparing aerial photographs from 1967 and 2023.

Kim Doo-gyeom, Mayor of Ulsan, stated, "The Ulsan History Research Institute has laid the foundation for regional history research by investigating and recording major places in Ulsan that have disappeared or changed significantly due to urbanization from various perspectives. I ask for the interest and cooperation of citizens so that the compilation of historical materials for the 30th anniversary of Ulsan's elevation to metropolitan city status can proceed smoothly."

Ulsan City Hall

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.