ULSAN — The Ulsan World Food Culture Center, built atop Ulsan Bridge over the Taehwa River at a cost of 2.6 billion won ($1.8 million), has effectively halted operations just seven months after opening. With every tenant restaurant now shuttered and visitor numbers collapsing, critics say the project was pushed through without a proper review of basic operating conditions. The city government is weighing whether to repurpose or close the facility.
According to the Ulsan city government on the 25th, the center drew interest when it first opened but saw visitors fall sharply because of high food prices and poor amenities. Weekday visitors averaged 214 a day in the second week of operation, then dropped to 15 in the 25th week, a decline of 93%. Weekend visitors fell from 1,302 to seven over the same period, a drop of more than 99%.
The center opened in March, during the tenure of former Ulsan Mayor Kim Doo-kyum, on Ulsan Bridge, a pedestrian-only crossing over the Taehwa River. Billed as the country's first dining space on a bridge, it drew a total of 2.6 billion won in public funds and included four temporary structures of 52 square meters each on the bridge deck. Tenants comprised one cafe and six restaurants serving Uzbek, Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese and Italian food.
Problems with basic operating infrastructure surfaced soon after the opening. Because the structures sit on a bridge, they are exposed to changing weather, and the absence of a city gas supply made cooking and the delivery of ingredients difficult. There were no restrooms or parking, and the six restaurants had a combined total of just 12 seats.
Weak business appeared early as well. In June, three months after the opening, daily sales at the Uzbek restaurant run directly by the Ulsan Facilities Management Corporation fell to about 40,000 won. On some weekdays, the restaurant failed to sell a single dish. Tenants then suspended operations one after another, and all have now closed.
At a recent parliamentary audit of the Ulsan city government, lawmakers also said the project's feasibility and operating conditions had not been sufficiently examined.
"All the tenants have closed, so we are only paying maintenance costs at this point," Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook said. "Because of the bridge's safety rating, building additional structures is difficult, so we cannot install extra restrooms or cooking equipment." He added: "If we leave it as it is, the maintenance burden and safety concerns will only grow, so we are reviewing whether to find another use for it or close it, following a process of public discussion."