Ulsan City allocates 5.9907 trillion won for its 2027 main budget, focusing on “changes citizens can feel”

【Financial News | Ulsan = reporter Choi Soo-sang】 Ulsan City has drawn up a 2027 budget proposal totaling 5.9907 trillion won as the first main budget of its ninth popularly elected administration.
Ulsan City Deputy Mayor for Administration Seo Nam-gyo announced the proposed main budget for next year at a media briefing on the 11th. Deputy Mayor Seo explained, “The budget is 346.1 billion won larger than this year’s. Guided by three priorities—stabilizing livelihoods, improving everyday convenience and creating future opportunities—we have made ‘changes citizens can feel’ our top priority.”
The proposed budget allocates the largest amount, 2.3223 trillion won, to welfare and livelihood support. New measures include a 1 million won marriage support grant for married couples and a ‘Welcome Baby Support Grant’ to help care for infants, while essential and emergency medical services will be further strengthened. The transportation and urban development sector will receive 476.9 billion won for measures including improving road markings to increase visibility at night and in rainy weather, introducing bus rapid transit (BRT), and improving safety on local roads, including by widening Sirae Submersible Bridge.
The economy and industry sector will receive 549.3 billion won to actively support the AI transformation (AX) of key industries, including AX technology development in the shipbuilding and automotive sectors and the creation of a petrochemical AX demonstration industrial complex. The city will also build a Ulsan-style safety net for workers and employment.
The culture and sports sector will receive 297.2 billion won for projects including producing the original musical “Park Sang-jin,” restoring Eonyang-eupseong Fortress and building a trail to the Bangudae Petroglyphs. The city will also build recreational sports facilities, including a new soccer field in Jung-gu.
The disaster and safety sector will receive 364.6 billion won to introduce specialized wildfire suppression vehicles and unmanned firefighting robots. The environment and green space sector will receive 515.7 billion won to prepare for the 2028 Ulsan International Garden Expo and ensure a clean water supply. The city will also expand water supply to outlying areas and increase the capacity of wastewater treatment facilities.
Ulsan City has also included in the proposed budget a selection of 12 initiatives across sectors that citizens can feel immediately in their daily lives.
Plans include expanding the Citizens’ Safety Insurance coverage from eight to 12 categories, introducing AI counseling at the 120 Center and launching weekday nighttime medical services for children. The budget also includes opening school indoor gyms to residents, expanding weekend outdoor libraries and renovating facilities at the Culture and Arts Center. To make travel more convenient, the city will add 100 smart bus stops, expand public parking for industrial complex workers, and begin full-scale operation of demand-responsive and autonomous buses. The “Welcome to Ulsan Project,” which helps young people relocate to the city, and a half-price bus fare program for teenagers aged 13 to 18 will also be introduced. In addition, the city will begin work on youth film production support and start planning a large-scale set.
The fiscal base of the autonomous districts will also be substantially strengthened. Starting next year, the allocation rate for adjustment grants to the districts will rise from 20% to 24%, bringing the total distributed to 376.9 billion won—86.9 billion won more than this year.
Deputy Mayor for Administration Seo Nam-gyo said, “Despite the challenging fiscal circumstances, we will deliver changes that are essential to citizens’ lives.”

[email protected] Choi Soo-sang Reporter