Ulsan City to re-evaluate Ulsan Industrial Festival following budget cuts

Ulsan City has announced it will conduct a comprehensive review of the future direction of the Ulsan Industrial Festival. Despite a nearly 50% reduction in the total budget—from 7.18 billion won last year to 3.64 billion won this year—the festival recorded a 1.5 percentage point increase in overall visitor satisfaction, rising to 86.7%.

The city implemented several changes to improve efficiency, including the removal of large-scale street parades and the reduction of personnel from government officials and affiliated organizations from over 10,000 to 544. In contrast, participation from citizens and local artists increased significantly. New programs were added to enhance the experience, leading to a rise in family attendance from 45.2% to 72.4%.

While satisfaction with experiential programs improved, challenges remain regarding traffic, parking, and the lack of rest areas. The city also noted that while booth sales saw a slight increase, a more objective analysis of the festival’s impact on the local economy is required. Moving forward, the city will consider whether to maintain the festival or develop a new representative event that focuses on citizen-led participation and local economic revitalization.