Ulsan Metropolitan City budget exceeds 6 trillion won after council approval

The Ulsan Metropolitan Council has finalized the third supplementary budget for 2026, bringing the city's total budget to over 6 trillion won (6,114.8 billion won). The Budget and Accounts Special Committee approved the plan with a final reduction of approximately 3.68 billion won, representing only 0.06% of the total budget.

The budget process involved significant political tension between Mayor Kim Sang-wook and the City Council. While the council initially slashed funding for projects such as the ‘120 Ulsan Civil Service Center’ and the ‘Seoul Office’ due to concerns over procedural legitimacy, some of these funds were partially restored during the final deliberations. Major cuts included 850 million won for the Samho Elementary School school zone undergrounding project and 1.2 billion won for raw water purchase costs at the Hoeya and Cheonsang water treatment plants.

Additionally, the council reviewed the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education's supplementary budget. Out of the 37.8 billion won requested, the council cut 16.18 billion won, primarily targeting land acquisition for the Ulsan Student Safety Experience Education Center and various digital education and communication projects.