Ulsan hopes K-pop training school will draw younger people to city

Social Affairs

Published: 16 Jan. 2024, 17:44 Updated: 16 Jan. 2024, 18:13

Ulsan hopes K-pop training school will draw younger people to city

Ulsan Mayor Kim Doo-gyeom, center, poses with participants of the city's first K-pop training program in a hall in Ulsan College on Aug. 9, 2023. Participants took singing and dancing classes during the six-day program. [ULSAN METROPOLITAN CITY OFFICE]

A school dedicated to training K-pop talent is set to open in Ulsan by 2026, a plan unveiled by the city government to retain and attract young people.

The Ulsan Metropolitan City Office announced on Tuesday that the so-called K-pop training school will be housed in a public complex building to be constructed in the Jung District of Ulsan by June 2026.

“The plan [to construct a K-pop training school] aims to create an environment that encourages young people to reside in the city by developing and nurturing young talents,” an official at the Ulsan Metropolitan City Office said.

The port city has faced a declining number of young people despite being home to production facilities belonging to conglomerates such as Hyundai Motor and SK, which offer stable, well-paying jobs.

According to the city government, an average of 7,000 people between the ages of 19 and 34 have left the city annually since 2017.

Approximately 18 percent of Ulsan's 1.1 million people were in that age group as of 2021.

The city government has completed an inspection of the area to solidify its plan. According to the city, a four-story facility with a gross floor area of 3,400 square meters (36,000 square feet) will be built where the Ulsan Jungbu Fire Station was previously located.

Ulsan's K-pop training school will be built behind the wall. [KIM YUN-HO]

A total of 7.6 billion won ($5.7 million) will be invested in the project, with 6 billion won allocated for indoor facilities, including the installation of cameras, and 1.6 billion won designated for operating K-pop-related programs at the school. The school is expected to open around December 2026.

According to the city government’s plan, pop-up and flagship stores will occupy the first floor of the building, while spaces dedicated to experiencing the works and lives of K-pop artists, such as music videos and studios, will be found on the second floor. Training programs, including singing, dancing, composing and recording, will be hosted on the third floor, while the fourth floor will house a small concert hall. The city aims to offer more diverse K-pop-related programs by collaborating with other agencies.

The construction of the school was part of the city’s 2024 policy to boost its cultural industry, along with the construction of a 360-billion-won opera house along the Taehwa River near Ulsan Bridge.

BY KIM YUN-HO, CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]