Main contenders named — Ulsan mayoral race kicks off
'Citizen sovereignty, unity and pragmatism' vs. 'AI capital, a greater Ulsan'
'Policy proposals via SNS' vs. 'Face-to-face outreach using organization'
'Citizen sovereignty, unity and pragmatism' vs. 'AI capital, a greater Ulsan'
'Policy proposals via SNS' vs. 'Face-to-face outreach using organization'
The June 3 Ulsan mayoral election effectively began when former lawmaker Kim Sang-wook of the Democratic Party and incumbent Mayor Kim Du-gyeom of the People Power Party formally entered the contest. With the race now featuring the two leading nominees—the so-called "big two" from opposing camps—campaign activity in Ulsan has quickly intensified. On April 29, Democratic Party candidate Kim Sang-wook held a press conference at the National Assembly, announced his resignation from the legislature and officially declared his bid for mayor. He framed his campaign around "citizen sovereignty" and expanding Ulsan’s economic reach, promising to widen the city's playing field through Busan–Ulsan–Gyeongnam integration and a major industrial shift toward AI.
That same day, Mayor Kim Du-gyeom launched his bid for a second term, using his kickoff to point to concrete achievements from his four years in office and to seek voters’ support. He said, "Over the past four years, under the banner of building a 'new, greater Ulsan,' we overcame crises with citizens and laid the groundwork for a comeback." Highlighting the lifting of the development-restriction zone (GB) as a key accomplishment, he credited that move with securing what he described as an astonishing 36 trillion KRW (approximately $27 billion USD) in investment and job creation.
From their opening statements, the candidates drew clear contrasts.
Democratic candidate Kim Sang-wook opened by citing the emergency events he called a turning point and explaining the political decisions that followed. "On the night of December 3, 2024, the world turned upside down," he said. "I carried a trauma-like imprint that taught me what a politician's duty truly is. The old Kim Sang-wook died that night. Since then, I have devoted myself to the people, determined never to act cowardly when it comes to the public interest." He portrayed his shift—from a first-term opposition lawmaker to a figure who helped drive an impeachment vote and later changed party affiliation—as part of a larger effort to defend citizen sovereignty. Kim criticized entrenched political patterns and previewed a different approach to politics and campaigning.
"Traditional left-right factionalism does not matter to me," he said. "I will combine the functional strengths of both conservative and progressive approaches, break down isolated vested-interest cultures, and rebuild Ulsan through 'unity and pragmatism' for the citizens alone."
His major pledges include promoting Busan–Ulsan–Gyeongnam integration and driving an industrial AX (AI transformation) to expand Ulsan’s economic territory. He named former senior party official Kim Du-gwan as his campaign headquarters chief and reorganized his campaign team, urging voters to help make citizens the true owners of Ulsan beyond partisan lines.
He also vowed to move away from negative attacks, mass organizational mobilization and old-style campaigning centered on motorcades and handshake tours. Instead, he plans to run a campaign focused on policy proposals delivered through social media.
On May 1, Kim posted three consecutive YouTube Shorts. His stops included the pay-operated Taehwa River park golf course, Cheonggok-dong—where a planned firefighting road has been stalled for eight years—and the skywalk next to Taehwa-ru that received 7.3 billion KRW (approximately $5.48 million USD). Since last month he has been traveling light with a backpack, meeting residents across neighborhoods to seek support.
By contrast, Mayor Kim Du-gyeom emphasized administrative achievements: "I led efforts to persuade the central government and the National Assembly to pass the Distributed Energy Act, secured an additional 500 billion KRW per year in ordinary local allocation tax (approximately $375 million USD), and paid down 250 billion KRW in debt (approximately $187.5 million USD), earning our city top ratings for financial management for three consecutive years." He also said he had attracted a national-level AI data center to Ulsan valued at 7 trillion KRW (approximately $5.25 billion USD), which he said will be run by global web services operator Amazon (AWS) and SK and is expected to expand into a Northeast Asia hub. For a potential second term, he outlined a vision centered on making Ulsan an "AI capital," an ecological garden city, and delivering tangible, experience-based welfare.
To finish the AI-capital plan and spur new industries, he pledged to secure an additional 100 trillion KRW in investment for the data center (approximately $75 billion USD) and to attract related industries such as semiconductors and secondary batteries, aiming to position Ulsan as a springboard for one of the world's top three AI nations.
"We are at a critical inflection point—facing regional decline driven by concentration in the Seoul area," he said. "I will complete the projects we started and transform Ulsan into a vibrant city with 1.2 million residents and a daytime population of 2 million."
Kim Du-gyeom and the People Power Party are running a traditional ground campaign that leverages their organizational strength, coordinating with city and district council hopefuls and volunteers.
On May 1, the mayor began the day greeting commuters at the Sinbok intersection in Nam District, attended a candidate workshop at the party’s Ulsan office, and later met workers at a Labor Day ceremony held at the east gate plaza of Ulsan Grand Park—efforts that underscore his emphasis on face-to-face voter contact.
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