Ulsan mayor-elect Kim Sang-uk maps out citizen-focused city agenda

Ulsan has seen its mayoral seat change hands between the two major parties every four years. Since the sixth term in 2014, the city has been led by Kim Ki-hyun of the then-ruling Saenuri Party, followed by Song Cheol-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea in the seventh term, Kim Du-gyeom of the People Power Party in the eighth, and now Democratic Party mayor-elect Kim Sang-uk, who will take office as the ninth.

Kim has signaled significant policy shifts, saying he will "review the appropriateness" of major initiatives pursued under the eighth term — including the construction of Urban Railway Line 1 and a world-class performance venue — both championed as long-sought civic projects to expand transportation and cultural infrastructure.

On Tuesday, Kim met with the head of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and several central government ministers to build his network ahead of taking office. He is also scheduled to attend a public dialogue forum organized by progressive civic groups over the weekend. Kim plans to finalize a lean, operationally focused transition committee and set Wednesday as its launch date, with the formal city government handover to begin this week.

Immediately after receiving his certificate of election, Kim told reporters June 5 that restoring discontinued city bus routes would be his "first order of business" after taking office. That same day, he met with transport company representatives, Ulsan city bus union officials and city hall staff from the bus and taxi division to assess the situation firsthand. He heard from operators, the union and city officials about the structural problems behind Ulsan's bus network — where public transit accounts for just 10 percent of total transport demand, and annual fiscal support of 160 billion won (about $116 million) has failed to produce meaningful improvement.

Kim also said he would review the urban rail network — a tram and streetcar system — that has been under development since 2017 as a government-backed project to address Ulsan's chronically weak public transportation infrastructure.

His position is to put Urban Railway Line 1 — a 10.85-kilometer stretch between Taehwagang Station and Sinbok Intersection slated for completion in 2029 — on hold, and instead prioritize Urban Railway Line 2, a 13.55-kilometer route between North Ulsan Station and Yaeum Intersection in Nam-gu, currently planned to open in 2032. Line 1, however, has already received basic plan approval and begun ground reinforcement and temporary structure installation work, making a reversal likely to be contentious.

Kim also declared a full review of the plan to build a world-class performance venue at a cost of 500 billion won, as well as a project to restore waterways around Hakseong Park in Jung-gu at a cost of 672 billion won by 2037.

He also outlined plans to revive the Cheoyong Cultural Festival — which had been discontinued — as a local cultural event, replacing the Ulsan Industrial Festival that the eighth-term administration had relaunched as the city's signature annual celebration.

Kim also announced his intention to revive the Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongnam Mega City integration initiative, which the eighth-term administration had opposed by demanding that powers over land use, local legislation, administration and taxation first be transferred from the central government before any merger could proceed.

Kim characterized the eighth-term Ulsan city government as riddled with an "entrenched-interest cartel" and made "blocking unfairness and corruption" a campaign pledge. He has signaled plans to overhaul city operations through measures including strengthening the audit team and launching audits into allegations of repeated and concentrated no-bid contracts.

Local political observers said Ulsan has repeatedly seen continuity-driven policies halted every time local power changes hands, and that Kim should pursue initiatives from the perspective of the city's development once in office — even if he criticized his predecessor's policies during the campaign.