Ulsan City Presents '2025 Municipal Administration Direction'
January 9, First Ever Annual Work Report Meeting... Policy Task Announcements
Press Conferences Held in 7 Sectors Including Economy, Industry, and Culture Tourism
On the 9th at 10 a.m., Ulsan City will hold its first-ever annual work report meeting in the city hall's main conference room and present the '2025 City Administration Operation Directions.'
In this work report, to realize the vision of 'A Great New Ulsan,' the city administration goals are set as 'Dream City Ulsan, Ulsan Has Ulsan People,' with three main operational directions: ▲an economically vibrant city full of jobs ▲a U-Jam city with diverse culture and nature ▲a residential city where citizens' lives are enriched.
According to these three operational directions presented, Ulsan City plans to announce 17 major policy tasks, including the full-scale preparation for hosting the 2028 Ulsan International Garden Expo, and to implement city administration that Ulsan citizens can feel directly.
Mayor Kim Doo-gyeom said, “We will create 'Dream City Ulsan,' where industry, culture, and citizens' lives harmonize,” and added, “In 2025, we will gather all city administration capabilities in the right direction and proceed without wavering.”
Starting with this annual work report, from the 13th to the 22nd, related department heads will consecutively present key projects in seven fields, including economy and industry, culture and tourism, and environment and green spaces, in an easy-to-understand manner.
Looking at the three main operational directions and key policies for 2025 announced by Ulsan City:
▲First, an economically vibrant city full of jobs
By realistically adjusting development restriction zones according to regional characteristics, the city plans to invigorate the local economy and strengthen customized support for companies to ensure continuous large-scale investment in Ulsan.
Particularly, efforts will focus on institutional improvements such as rationalizing the selection of national and regional strategic projects and the evaluation system for development restriction zone environmental grades to strengthen the growth engine for Ulsan's re-leap.
Along with this, to create a business-friendly investment environment, the designation of dedicated public officials for on-site corporate support will be expanded (from 4 to 6 companies), and responsibility officers for investment companies within the region will be expanded by area.
The city will also concentrate its administrative capabilities on attracting corporate headquarters, a new challenge for Ulsan's economy. Target companies will be those with a single factory in Ulsan, and the city will actively identify and improve regulations that act as obstacles when relocating headquarters.
The government’s core strategy for balanced national development, the 'Education Development Special Zone,' 'Opportunity Development Special Zone,' and 'Urban Convergence Special Zone' of the local era special zones, will be actively promoted to develop Ulsan’s industry, culture, education, and residential conditions together, strengthening future competitiveness.
Ulsan plans to focus administrative efforts on designating the city as the first specialized distributed energy area in the first half of the year, realize the introduction of a differentiated electricity rate system by region to reduce corporate burdens, and activate new investments.
Additionally, the 'Ulsan-type Metropolitan Visa' system will be implemented to attract excellent foreign talent tailored to the region, and various job projects and customized job support for demand groups (youth, middle-aged, etc.) will be strengthened to resolve manpower shortages in key industries.
Startup and venture investments will be activated to create a virtuous cycle investment ecosystem of 'startup → investment → growth → exit → reinvestment,' and customized services by growth stage will be provided to small and medium enterprises and small business owners to support their growth.
Efforts will also focus on securing global competitiveness in key industries and enhancing the growth potential of advanced new industries. The automobile industry will improve technology competitiveness in electric and hydrogen vehicles, foster future car parts industries, establish a leading base for Urban Air Mobility (UAM), and build an autonomous driving foundation.
The shipbuilding industry will develop an autonomous ship research complex in Gohneul District, support eco-friendly and intelligent (smart) ship technology development, and establish production sites utilizing digital technology.
The chemical industry will support the transition to high value-added and eco-friendly industries, and the secondary battery industry will build infrastructure such as an advanced secondary battery integrated support center, support technology development, and nurture technical personnel to foster Ulsan as a global hub city for the secondary battery industry.
Support will also be provided for fostering advanced new industries such as hydrogen, artificial intelligence, life sciences (bio), renewable energy, and nuclear power.
Alongside this, the expansion of Ulsan Mipo National Industrial Complex and Onsan National Industrial Complex, new growth base industrial complexes, and advanced intelligent (smart) industrial complexes will be promoted to supply industrial sites timely and establish a sustainable investment foundation.
▲Second, a U-Jam city with diverse culture and nature
Ulsan City will establish the International Garden Expo Promotion Team, a dedicated organization for the 2028 Ulsan International Garden Expo, and begin full-scale preparations for the expo. In addition to establishing a comprehensive execution plan for the expo, projects to restore the ecosystem of Samsan and Yeocheon reclamation sites will be prepared without delay to develop Ulsan into a world-class ecological garden city.
Tourism infrastructure for the Taehwa River National Garden will be expanded through projects such as installing the Taehwalu (Yonggeumso) Skywalk, expanding the Taehwa River reed field, and restoring water channels in Hakseong Park. The Ulsan Garden Support Center will be opened to operate various programs and expand garden culture.
Furthermore, green spaces in the city will be expanded by creating urban wind path forests and urban forests to reduce heat islands and fine dust, promoting the transition to a green city.
To build a sustainable cultural and tourism ecosystem, a world-class performance hall and a K-POP academy will be constructed, and the Jongha Innovation Center, a multipurpose complex space, will be opened to create a cultural hub. Development of new tourist attractions such as the Gangdong Tourism Complex and Yeongnam Alps Tourism Complex will continue.
Ulsan will also promote the cultivation of its unique cultural industry. A training center for key industry content will be established to foster the cultural content industry, and the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry will be activated through hosting the Ulsan World Future Industry Expo (WAVE 2025) and promoting the designation of an international conference district.
Sports infrastructure will be significantly expanded, including the Canoe Slalom Center (stadium), public golf courses, Munsu Baseball Stadium youth hostel, and Yeocheon reclamation site park golf course. Large-scale international sports events such as the KOREA Ulsan World Archery Championship and Ulsan World Prestigious University Rowing Festival will be held to lay the foundation for becoming a world-class advanced sports city.
The 'Banggucheon Rock Carvings' are expected to be finally registered as a World Heritage site in July if all international evaluation procedures proceed smoothly. Ulsan City plans to make every effort to ensure successful registration.
▲Third, a residential city where citizens' lives are enriched
The 'Ulbusim Life+ Project,' which increases citizens' satisfaction and happiness, will be further expanded. The city plans to provide more meticulous administrative services so that all citizens, from children to the elderly, can enjoy happiness and pride in their daily lives.
Economic burdens on childbirth and child-rearing families will be eased through parental allowances, home care subsidies, and preferential support for multi-child families such as multi-child happiness rental cars and water and sewage fee reductions. Ulsan-type responsible care will be strengthened through city-run childcare centers and elementary school gap care, and complex education and play spaces for children will be created to support healthy child development.
The operation of a second city-run senior welfare center, establishment of a senior elementary school, and construction of a 'Second Memorial House' in Ulsan Sky Park will expand comfortable and vibrant welfare infrastructure for the elderly. Customized jobs for the new senior generation will be supplied to support a stable daily life.
Customized support for socially vulnerable groups will also be strengthened. Daily care and the Ulsan Youth Future Center will operate for young and middle-aged adults needing care, and welfare for the disabled will be enhanced through the (tentative) Disabled Hub Center and integrated care for severely developmentally disabled individuals.
Quality female jobs will be created by expanding women's job fairs and support for women-friendly companies, and the construction of a youth cultural center will proceed smoothly to support healthy growth of youth.
Health management for pregnant women and infants will be strengthened through expanded infertility treatment costs and home care services for mothers and newborns, and mental health support services for citizens will be expanded. Efforts to expand public medical infrastructure, including advanced industrial accident specialized public hospitals, Ulsan Medical Center, and Ulsan Proton Therapy Center, will continue.
Youth hope housing in Sinjeong-dong and other areas will be continuously supplied, and customized housing welfare support projects for youth and newlyweds, such as housing cost support for homeless single youth households, support for newlywed households to increase birth rates, and temporary special support for youth monthly rent, will be continuously promoted.
The world's first hydrogen tram is scheduled to open in January 2029, with detailed design underway. Public transportation use will be activated and transportation welfare realized through stabilizing city bus route reorganization and free city bus fares for seniors (75 and older).
Customized mobility support using voucher taxis for pregnant women, infants, and seniors aged 85 and older, as well as the establishment of family-friendly exclusive parking zones, will strengthen mobility convenience for transportation-vulnerable groups and families.
Efforts to establish an ecological tourism foundation will include promoting certification of Ulsan National Geopark and constructing the Ulsan Complex Ecotourism Center, expanding citizen participation programs such as creating an urban ecological status map and an eagle ecological experience center.
To realize a safe city resilient to disasters and crises, the city will continue to improve flood-prone living areas and disaster risk improvement districts, operate Ulsan Citizen Safety Insurance, and build a community safety network through citizen participation such as safety security officers and safety monitoring volunteer groups.
Safety management of national industrial complexes will also be strengthened through the National Industrial Complex Underground Pipeline Integrated Safety Management Center, advanced safety management plus for petrochemical complexes, and a special disaster training center.
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Additionally, Ulsan will proactively respond to demographic changes by establishing the 2025 Ulsan-type population policy and operating the Population UP Strategy Headquarters (TF). Various policies for youth, such as expanding interest support for university (graduate) student loans and opening the Ulsan Youth Support Center, will be promoted to encourage stable regional settlement.
Detailed information on the '2025 Major Work Plan' can be found on the Ulsan City website → Introduction to Ulsan → Vision of Ulsan → Major Work Plan.
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