Ulsan (Korean pronunciation: [ul.s͈an]), officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the east.
Ulsan
울산 蔚山 | |
|---|---|
| Ulsan Metropolitan City | |
| transcription(s) | |
| • Hangul | 울산광역시 |
| • Hanja | 蔚山廣域市 |
| • Revised Romanization | Ulsan-gwangyeoksi |
| • McCune-Reischauer | Ulsan-kwangyŏksi |
| From top left: Cityscape of Ulsan, Downtown Ulsan, Iaan Exodium towers, a beach at Ulsan, & Ulsan Station From top left: Cityscape of Ulsan, Downtown Ulsan, Iaan Exodium towers, a beach at Ulsan, & Ulsan Station | |
 Flag  Emblem of Ulsan | |
 Map of South Korea with Ulsan highlighted | |
| Country |  South Korea |
| Region | Yeongnam |
| Districts | 4 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Bak Maeng-woo |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,057.136 km2 (408.162 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 1,145,096 |
| • Density | 1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi) |
| • Dialect | Gyeongsang |
| Flower | Pear flower |
| Tree | Ginkgo |
| Bird | White heron |
| Website | ulsan.go.kr Template:En icon |
Ulsan is the industrial powerhouse of South Korea, forming the heart of the Ulsan Industrial District, which is home to the world's largest automobile assembly plant operated by the Hyundai Motor Company,[1] the world's largest shipyard operated by Hyundai Heavy Industries[2] and the world's third largest oil refinery, owned by SK Energy.[3] In 2008, Ulsan had a GDP per capita of $63,817, the highest by far in South Korea.[4]
Administrative divisions
Ulsan is divided into 4 gu (districts) and 1 gun (county).
| Map | Name | Hangul | Hanja | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gu (Districts) | |||||
| Buk-gu | 북구 | 北區 | |||
| Dong-gu | 동구 | 東區 | |||
| Jung-gu | 중구 | 中區 | |||
| Nam-gu | 남구 | 南區 | |||
| Gun (County) | |||||
| Ulju-gun | 울주군 | 蔚州郡 | |||
Geography
Ulsan is bounded on the east by the Sea of Japan. It is not far from Busan, at only 70 km to the south.
Climate
Ulsan has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa/Cwa), with somewhat cold but dry winters, and hot, humid summers. Monthly means range from 2.0 °C (35.6 °F) in January to 25.9 °C (78.6 °F) in August, with diurnal temperature ranges generally low. Its location on the Korean peninsula results in a seasonal lag, with the warmest days being in August and averaging very near 30 °C (86 °F). Precipitation is relatively low in the winter months, but is made up by the high rainfall falling from April to September.
| Climate data for Ulsan (1981−2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.3 (45.1) |
9.2 (48.6) |
13.2 (55.8) |
19.2 (66.6) |
23.4 (74.1) |
26.0 (78.8) |
28.9 (84.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
25.9 (78.6) |
21.9 (71.4) |
15.8 (60.4) |
9.9 (49.8) |
19.2 (66.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.0 (35.6) |
3.9 (39.0) |
7.9 (46.2) |
13.5 (56.3) |
17.9 (64.2) |
21.4 (70.5) |
25.0 (77.0) |
25.9 (78.6) |
21.5 (70.7) |
16.2 (61.2) |
9.9 (49.8) |
4.3 (39.7) |
14.1 (57.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.3 (27.9) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
3.2 (37.8) |
8.2 (46.8) |
12.8 (55.0) |
17.3 (63.1) |
21.8 (71.2) |
22.7 (72.9) |
17.9 (64.2) |
11.5 (52.7) |
5.1 (41.2) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
9.8 (49.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 34.3 (1.35) |
42.6 (1.68) |
65.8 (2.59) |
91.1 (3.59) |
108.1 (4.26) |
176.8 (6.96) |
232.3 (9.15) |
240.3 (9.46) |
168.2 (6.62) |
53.5 (2.11) |
41.1 (1.62) |
23.0 (0.91) |
1,277.1 (50.28) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 5.3 | 6.3 | 8.1 | 8.4 | 9.2 | 10.0 | 13.5 | 12.1 | 10.3 | 5.7 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 97.9 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 49.6 | 51.9 | 57.6 | 60.3 | 66.1 | 73.3 | 78.9 | 77.7 | 75.7 | 67.2 | 59.9 | 52.4 | 64.2 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 190.7 | 176.4 | 187.5 | 207.2 | 215.4 | 172.7 | 151.5 | 167.3 | 150.0 | 193.7 | 182.0 | 194.6 | 2,188.8 |
| Source: Korea Meteorological Administration [5] | |||||||||||||
Economy
As the center of the Ulsan Industrial District, the city is the corporate base of the multinational Hyundai conglomerate. Up to 1962, Ulsan operated as a fishing port and market centre. As part of South Korea's first five-year economic plan, Ulsan became an open port. Additionally, major industrial plants and factories were developed, including in particular an oil refinery, fertiliser plants, automobile production and heavy industries. The shipbuilding port Bangeojin became part of the city in 1962.
Ulsan is currently the home of the world's largest automobile assembly plant operated by Hyundai Motor,[1] the world's largest shipyard, operated by Hyundai Heavy Industries[2] and the world's largest [citation needed] oil refinery owned by SK Energy.[3]
Transportation
The city transport department plans to build a light-rail line and the public transportation system is as good as any other major Korean city. The bus system shows a particular ETA at most bus stops.[6] Ulsan Airport, constructed in 1970 and expanded in 1997, has more than 20 flights per day to and from Seoul's Gimpo International Airport and 4 flights per week to and from Jeju International Airport. In November 2010, Korea's high speed train network, the KTX, was extended to Ulsan.[7] This provides a high speed link to Seoul, with a running time of just over 2 hours. The new KTX station (Ulsan Station) is in nearby Eonyang, with a series of express buses (5001-5004) as well as some city buses serving the new station.[8] The original city station has been renamed Taehwa River Station.[7]
Sport
The city hosts the K-League football club Ulsan Hyundai FC, who, after the 2002 FIFA World Cup, relocated from their former stadium in Jung-gu, which is now a municipal ground, to the Munsu Stadium, which hosted several matches during the 2002 World Cup. Ulsan is home to another soccer team, Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, which plays in the Korea National League. It is also home to the University of Ulsan.
Sister cities
| City | Region | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmedabad | Gujarat | India | 1965 |
| Hagi | Yamaguchi Prefecture | Japan | 1968 |
| Hualien City | Hualien County | Taiwan | 1981 |
| Portland | Oregon | United States | 1987 |
| Changchun | Jilin | China | 1994 |
| İzmit | Kocaeli Province | Turkey | 1995 |
| İzmir | İzmir Province | Turkey | 2002 |
| Santos | São Paulo | Brazil | 2002 |
| Khanh Hoa Province | Vietnam | 2002 | |
| Tomsk | Tomsk Oblast | Russia | 2003 |
| Kumamoto City1 | Kumamoto Prefecture | Japan | 2010 |
| Karagandy Province | Kazakhstan | 2010 |
^1 Kumamoto City has a friendship agreement with Ulsan
See also
References
- ^ a b http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/society/2010/01/11/0706000000AKR20100111098900057.HTML?template=2086
- ^ a b http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/view/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0001214440
- ^ a b http://pda.ulsan.go.kr/Common/Detail.neo?id=U0010711
- ^ See List of South Korean regions by GDP.
- ^ "평년값자료(1981−2010) 울산(152)". Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 2011−05−26.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Welcome to Ulsan Metropolitan City - News and Notice". Ulsan City Council. Archived from the original on 2008-01-03. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
- ^ a b http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2010/10/178_74057.html
- ^ http://ulsanonline.com/bus5001.html