ULSAN — A citizen jury convened by the Ulsan city government has recommended scrapping 20 programs, including the Ulsan Industrial Festival, among major festivals and events each funded with at least 100 million won from the city budget. The city said it will pass the jury's findings to the departments in charge and reflect them in the 2027 budget after an in-depth review.
The 20 programs flagged for elimination span four categories, the city said on Sept. 28.
Culture and concert programs accounted for the largest share, with seven. They include the Family Love Concert, Go-Retro, Immortal Songs in Ulsan, I Love Ulsan Citizens' Concert, the Ulsan Office Workers' Song Contest, Mr. Joong-gi's Family DAY Concert and the 2026 International Civilian Exchange Performance Program.
Six were festivals and events: the International Woodblock Festival, the Ulsan Industrial Festival, the Ulsan Rice Cake and Bakery Festival, the Ulsan Food Culture Festival, the Ulsan Pet Festival and the Taehwa River National Garden Summer Festival.
Four fell under sports and health: the World Elite University Rowing Festival, the Village and Neighborhood Leaders' Autumn Sports Day, the Bicycle Festival and the Haeoreum Community Sports Festival.
Three were economy and industry programs: ULSAN EXPORT PLAZA, the Ulsan Innovation Conference and the Ulsan Health Expo marking Public Health Day.
The review took place on Sept. 19 at the International Hall of the University of Ulsan. The 99 jurors were split into three groups made up of nine teams in total, reviewed identical program documents, then held independent team discussions followed by group-wide deliberations. The review covered 84 festivals and events, each backed by at least 100 million won in city funds.
Ulsan will use the jury's opinions to assess how effective each program is, whether the budget allocated to it is appropriate and whether it needs to continue. The city said the process is intended to cut wasteful spending and improve the efficiency of its finances, with the conclusions to be reflected in the 2027 main budget.
"We saw the potential of fiscal democracy, with residents examining programs themselves and offering their views," an Ulsan city official said. "We will review the opinions closely so that limited resources are used effectively, and we will widen opportunities for residents to take part."
The jury was assembled using quota sampling based on resident registration records to strengthen representativeness and procedural fairness. Text messages were sent to 360 people — three times the target number — drawn at random using telecommunications data, and 121 were selected after a second round of phone interviews. On the day of the deliberations, 99 took part. The final group included 12 people in their 20s, 12 in their 30s, 19 in their 40s, 23 in their 50s and 33 aged 60 or older, matching the age distribution of Ulsan's registered population.
