Home > National > Social Affairs

Every fin in order: Ulsan issues residency IDs to dolphin family

Published: 06 Feb. 2025, 15:30

The resident registration certificates of members of a dolphin family living in Ulsan. The certificates are modeled after human registration certificates. [ULSAN NAMGU CITY MANAGEMENT CORP]

Ulsan is handing out copies of resident registration certificates of a dolphin family living in the city’s whale-themed aquarium to tourists.

“I framed the dolphin resident registration certificate, and it feels like owning a limited edition item,” said Kim Bo-min, a 32-year-old from South Gyeongsang.

This document can only be obtained by visiting the civil affairs office in person during its operating hours, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

“Since the issuing office is a public institution, visitors need to make an effort to obtain it, as it is not available on weekends,” said an office official.

One of Ulsan’s leading attractions is the Jangsaengpo Whale Culture Zone, where various whale and dolphin-themed locations and events take place. The Whale Fantasium, where the dolphin family lives, regularly hosts tours and media art installations.

Modeled after human resident registration certificates, the dolphin version includes the head of the household, household members’ names, resident registration numbers, home address, moving-in dates, and birth dates — documenting the unique history of the dolphin family.

The household head listed on the certificate is a female dolphin named Jang Ggotbun, estimated to be 26 years old. Her younger sister Jang Duri, 16, and Jang Dodam, 12, along with her 8-year-old son Go Jangsu, are registered as household members.

The reason the Ggotbun family's certificate can be issued by an administrative office is that these dolphins are officially recognized as "residents” of Nam District, Ulsan.

A copy of a resident register of Ulsan's dolphin family [ULSAN NAMGU CITY MANAGEMENT CORP]

The first six digits of Ggotbun’s resident registration number are 091008, marking the date she moved from Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, to Jangsaengpo, Ulsan — Oct. 8, 2009. Duri and Dodam also have registration numbers reflecting their respective arrival dates in Ulsan — Mar. 22, 2012 and Feb. 9, 2017.

Jangsu is the only member of the family born in Korea, at the Jangsaengpo Whale Museum. His registration number starts with 170613, representing his birth date, June 13, 2017. Each dolphin also has its own resident registration card.

The certificate also reveals little-known details about the family's history. The father of the youngest dolphin, Go Jangsu, was Go Arong, who passed away in July 2020. Jangsu is listed as Ggotbun’s third calf.

Ggotbun’s first calf, born in 2014, died after three days, and her second, born in June 2015, died after five days. The survival rate of dolphins born in aquariums beyond one year is only about 20 percent. This is why the name Jangsu, meaning longevity, was given to her third calf, wishing for a long life.

The aquarium the dolphin family lives in measures 11 meters (36.1 feet) in length, 2.6 meters in height and 3.7 meters in width, holding 1,200 tons of seawater. Next to it is another pool with a depth of five meters, containing 1,500 tons of seawater.

At birth, Jangsu measured 120 centimeters (47.2 inches) in length and weighed 20 kilograms (44 pounds). He has now grown to 275 centimeters and 250 kilograms.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]