Ulsan and Busan move to forge closer ties

The Ulsan-Busan lifestyle zone is set to draw closer. Just two days after taking office, Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-uk and Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo met at Busan City Hall on Wednesday to discuss ways to strengthen inter-city exchange and cooperation, agreeing to begin with the transport and culture sectors.

The meeting marked the first concrete step toward the two mayors' shared pledge to integrate the Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongnam region. Kim had campaigned on forming a "Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongnam supra-regional council," while Jeon had pledged a "30-to-60-minute travel revolution" linking the three areas — both campaign pledges made during the June 3 local elections.

The two mayors agreed to work toward minimizing inconvenience for residents who commute between the two cities. Kim proposed expanding the discussion to include Yangsan, in addition to Ulsan and Busan, to jointly address public transport improvements.

According to the Southeast Regional Data Agency, 3,000 people commute from Ulsan to Busan, while 30,000 commute in the opposite direction. The Busan-to-Ulsan commuter population has risen 25 percent from 24,000 two years ago in 2023. Gijang-gun and Haeundae-gu account for the largest share of cross-city commuters. By transport mode, city, express and village buses carry 9.8 percent of commuters, while urban rail lines including the Donghae Line account for 0.2 percent.

On the cultural front, the two mayors discussed jointly hosting a coastal marathon along the shoreline from Nasa-ri in Ulju-gun, Ulsan, to Gijang in Busan — drawing on the scenic coastlines both cities share. Ulsan and Busan agreed to pursue working-level contacts for detailed consultations as soon as possible.

"Residents already think of Ulsan and Busan as a single lifestyle zone," Kim said. "To better serve our citizens, we will communicate and cooperate more closely with Busan going forward."

Jeon echoed the sentiment. "We agreed that Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongnam must build a new growth hub and engine capable of competing on equal footing with Seoul and the greater metropolitan area," he said. "We will meet regularly and work together to make the Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongnam region a single economic zone."