SK Innovation's rosy gift to Ulsan in full bloom

Ulsan Grand Park, a donation from the late founder of SK to the citizens of Ulsan, opened its annual Rose Festival.

People enjoy blooming roses on Thursday at the Rose Festival in Ulsan Grand Park, which features 3 million roses from 265 species. [SK INNOVATION]

ULSAN — In the warm afternoon sunshine with a spring breeze, brightly colored roses are in full bloom around kindergartners lined up in pairs with matching sweatsuits and excited smiles for spring picnics.

From children to elders, Ulsan Grand Park bustled Thursday with hundreds of people with their families and friends visiting the massive park for this year’s five-day Rose Festival, where they can observe 3 million roses from 265 species.

Ulsan Grand Park, a public space donated by SK Innovation about two decades ago, is a peaceful yet vivid oasis for the quiet and calm city, a welcoming place to fully take in nature and re-energize not only for Ulsan citizens but residents from nearby cities.

“Ulsan Grand Park turned the city into such a lively and energetic city back in 2006 when it really had nothing to please residents,” said Jung Yeon-yong, the head of the green park division of the Ulsan city government. “Ulsan and SK jointly open the Rose Festival every spring and this year marks our 16th.”

People look at blooming roses on Thursday at the Rose Festival in Ulsan Grand Park, which features 3 million roses from 265 species. [SK INNOVATION]

SK Innovation spent a total of 102 billion won ($75 million) to form the park on a 3.64 million-square-meter (39.2 million-square-feet) site in the city, even larger than New York City’s Central Park at 3.4 million square meters.

Various themed gardens and a zoo are located in the park but there is not a single recreational establishment like a bar, under the premise of creating an “eco-friendly” area striving for “happiness with families.”

Construction started in 1997 by order of the late chairman Chey Jong-hyon, the father of the current chief, Chey Tae-won, who sought to repay Ulsan citizens for their support for the company. The park opened to the public in 2006.

“The growth and history of SK is linked to Ulsan and its citizens, and Ulsan Grand Park is the late chairman’s gift to the city and the people,” said Ra Kyung-lim, the deputy head of the public affairs team at SK Energy.

Children have a picnic at the Ulsan Grand Park on Thursday. [SARAH CHEA]

Ulsan is where SK Innovation built an oil refining factory in 1968, a first for both the company and the country, with a polyester factory also built in 1974.

In 2003 when SK embroiled in a stake fight with Sovereign Asset Management, a Dubai-based private equity fund, Ulsan citizens voluntarily ran a campaign to buy stakes in the company to prevent it from losing management control to a foreign entity.

“Chey didn’t halt the project even when SK was suffering in the midst of 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and even in 2003 during the stake fight with Sovereign Asset Management,” Ra said.

Now, the park is a resting area for the people of Ulsan, a playground for children, and a must-visit tourist destination for residents of nearby cities, the public affairs deputy added.

A total of 144,000 people visited Ulsan Grand Park’s Rose Festival last year, and of them, 59 percent were visitors from outside Ulsan.

This year’s festival runs from May 22 to 26. Around 160,000 people are expected to visit, according to the Ulsan city government.

SK Innovation has been opening various other festivals at the park every year, including a music concert in October and a party for elders in April.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]