Which Field Is Ulsan Challenging in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network?

Participation in UNESCO Korean Committee's City-by-City Evaluation on the 17th

Ulsan City is pursuing membership in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) to enhance its status as a cultural city and to establish a global cultural network.

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network is an international cooperation network aimed at fostering economic, social, and cultural development of member countries and cities based on creativity.

Currently, 295 cities in 93 countries around the world are part of the network. In Korea, 12 cities have joined: Seoul (Design), Busan (Film), Daegu and Tongyeong (Music), Gwangju (Media Arts), Icheon, Jinju, and Gimhae (Crafts and Folk Art), Jeonju and Gangneung (Gastronomy), and Bucheon and Wonju (Literature).

On the 17th, Ulsan City will participate in the domestic selection for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network hosted by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO in Myeong-dong, Seoul, competing in the field of music and undergoing the final evaluation.

The city will highlight the continuous mutual development of music and industry since prehistoric times, referencing images such as "the figure of a sage playing the flute" and "the figure of a sage hunting whales by boat" engraved on the Bangudae Petroglyphs. Ulsan will also present itself as both Korea's industrial capital and a music-centered city today.

Additionally, Ulsan will showcase its unique creative music assets, including: ▲ achievements such as being designated as a statutory cultural city ▲ the sound of iron forging at Dalcheon Ironworks, reflecting Ulsan's identity rooted in labor and industry ▲ and the "Ulsan Asia Pacific Music Meeting," the region's first international music exchange platform, held for 12 consecutive years.

Furthermore, the city will present its future vision for the music industry, including the construction of a world-class performance venue and the establishment of a K-pop Academy, both of which are key pledges of the 8th popularly elected administration.

If Ulsan passes the evaluation by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO in August, the city plans to apply for full membership at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris next June. After an international review, full membership status will be granted.

An Ulsan City official stated, "If selected as a full member, this will serve as an important stepping stone for Ulsan to leap forward as Korea's first metropolitan statutory cultural city and a creative city, aiming to become a world-class cultural city. We will do our utmost to ensure that preparations for the domestic evaluation proceed smoothly."

Becoming a full UCCN member will not only expand international exchange networks with other member cities through technical advice and the sharing of international cooperation and development experiences, but also provide new opportunities to raise Ulsan's profile as a cultural city on the global stage.

Ulsan City Hall