Ulsan mayor meets government officials in Jeju

City says it received positive response to proposal

No formal talks yet with Busan, South Gyeongsang

Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-uk poses for a photo with Ulsan City Council Speaker Lee Yeong-hae and Ulsan Sports Council Chairman Kim Cheol-uk in front of Halla Gymnasium at Jeju General Stadium on Saturday, after encouraging the Ulsan taekwondo team competing in the 107th National Sports Festival. [Ulsan City]
Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-uk poses for a photo with Ulsan City Council Speaker Lee Yeong-hae and Ulsan Sports Council Chairman Kim Cheol-uk in front of Halla Gymnasium at Jeju General Stadium on Saturday, after encouraging the Ulsan taekwondo team competing in the 107th National Sports Festival. [Ulsan City]

Ulsan is pushing to jointly bid for the 2038 Asian Games with Busan and South Gyeongsang Province, drawing attention as a potential model for inter-regional cooperation.

Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-uk attended the opening ceremony of the 107th National Sports Festival on Jeju Island on Friday and raised the idea of a joint bid with Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-yeong, National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee Chairman Lee Jae-jeong and Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Yoo Seung-min, receiving favorable responses, according to the city.

The proposal originated at an internal "mega-project discovery meeting" held by the city on Oct. 7, where the public safety division put it forward. At that meeting, Kim said a joint hosting by the three regions would carry strategic significance for Ulsan's future and directed officials to consult internally before approaching Busan and South Gyeongsang Province, giving the idea momentum.

The joint-hosting concept is premised on using existing sports facilities in Busan and South Gyeongsang Province to reduce the cost of building large new venues while creating a cooperative framework among the three regions. The estimated project cost presented at an internal city briefing ranges from 1 trillion to 1.3 trillion won ($968 million).

To turn the concept into reality, the three local governments would need to align on their intent to co-host, agree on a division of roles, draw up plans for sharing sports facilities and work out how to split the fiscal burden.

Daegu and Gwangju declared a joint bid for the 2038 Asian Games in 2022 as part of a broader push for inter-regional collaboration and mutual development.

The host city for the Asian Games is decided by the Olympic Council of Asia general assembly. The 2030 Games are scheduled for Doha, Qatar, and the 2034 Games for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. South Korea has previously hosted the event in Seoul in 1986 with 27 sports, in Busan in 2002 with 41 sports and in Incheon in 2014 with 36 sports.


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