Haeoreum Alliance cities push to erase administrative borders, form single living zone

The three cities of the Haeoreum Alliance — Ulsan, Pohang and Gyeongju, whose name evokes their shared view of the East Sea sunrise — are marking the alliance's 10th anniversary by rolling out a series of resident-focused initiatives, including joint use of local currencies, to bring the three cities closer together as a single living zone.

Ulsan city announced Tuesday at the city hall press center a plan to pursue 12 projects across three areas — economy and industry, urban infrastructure, and culture and tourism — including joint use of local currencies and standard garbage bags across the three cities, as well as discounts at public parking lots. The initiative aims to dissolve administrative boundaries between the three cities and connect them as one integrated living zone.

In the economy and industry area, the cities will pursue joint use of local currencies — Ulsan Pay, Pohang Love Gift Certificates and Gyeongju Pay — joint use of standard garbage bags, a joint job fair bringing together companies and job seekers from all three cities, and exchanges for the sale of locally grown agricultural and livestock products.

In the urban infrastructure area, the cities will pursue mutual application of public parking discounts, construction of a Haeoreum cycling path, development of a southeastern mega-regional rail network linking northern Ulsan, Gyeongju, Pohang and Dongdaegu, and widening of National Route 7 between the Ulsan city boundary and Oedon in Gyeongju.

In the culture and tourism area, the cities will pursue discounted admission to major tourist sites and cultural facilities across the Haeoreum region, program exchanges among municipal cultural facilities such as libraries, art galleries and community centers, expansion of a matchmaking program for single men and women in the Haeoreum region, and a Haeoreum walking festival.

Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-uk, Ulsan City Council Speaker Lee Yeong-hae, Pohang Mayor Park Yong-seon, Pohang City Council Speaker Kim Cheol-su, Gyeongju Mayor Ju Nak-yeong and Gyeongju City Council Speaker Im Hwal, along with urban planning experts, gathered Tuesday at the Ulsan City Hall auditorium and presented a vision for the three cities as a "Haeoreum urban zone leading co-prosperity in the era of local governance."

The leaders held a 10th anniversary ceremony, reviewed the alliance's achievements in inter-city cooperation and agreed to incorporate policy proposals submitted through a public policy forum into new joint cooperation projects for the Haeoreum Alliance in 2027.

Since the alliance was formed, the three cities have worked together on expanding arterial roads linking Ulsan, Gyeongju and Pohang, sharing local water supply systems, jointly developing the former Donghae Nambu Line rail corridor, establishing sister-market ties between traditional markets, and developing a Haeoreum region-specific cruise tourism product.

The Haeoreum Alliance was formed in 2016, following the opening of the 53.7-kilometer Ulsan-Pohang East Coast Expressway in June of that year, with the goal of combining each city's strengths to revitalize the regional economy and jointly address wide-area challenges. The alliance seeks to generate mutual benefits by linking Ulsan's automotive, shipbuilding, petrochemical and hydrogen industries with Pohang's steel, secondary battery and advanced materials sectors, and Gyeongju's historical and cultural tourism, energy and nuclear power industries.