Ulsan hosts foreign civil servants for industrial, cultural and ecological tour

Ulsan has invited foreign civil servants participating in the K2H (Korea Heart to Heart) invitational training program for a working-level international exchange.

The K2H program is jointly run by the Council of Metropolitan and Provincial Governors of Korea and 28 local governments. It places foreign local government civil servants at Korean municipalities to give them firsthand experience of Korean public administration and culture, with the aim of cultivating goodwill toward Korea among future local leaders abroad.

This year, 33 civil servants from eight countries — including China, Japan, Germany, Indonesia, the Philippines and Zimbabwe — are taking part. Ulsan has invited 28 of them, representing seven countries, for a two-day program Monday and Tuesday that takes in the city's industrial sites and landmarks to showcase its industry, culture and ecology.

On Monday, participants will visit SK Energy — one of the world's largest refining and petrochemical companies — to experience the dynamism of Ulsan's industrial sector. They will then attend a recording of MBC's "Show! Music Core," being filmed in Ulsan, for a taste of global K-pop culture.

On Tuesday, the group will visit Taehwagang National Garden, widely cited as a successful ecological restoration project, to see how Ulsan balances heavy industry with nature as an eco-friendly city.

Through the K2H program, Ulsan has successfully trained 24 civil servants from eight countries since 2006, building a network of international contacts. This year, two civil servants from Guangzhou — a key economic hub in China — are completing their training placement in Ulsan.