The Hyundai Heavy Industries complex in Bangeojin is not open to casual visitors, but it dominates the landscape and the economy of eastern Ulsan so completely that simply seeing it — from the coastline near Ilsan Beach, from the hills above, or from a ferry — is genuinely striking. The red Hyundai crane, visible from much of eastern Ulsan, has become an unofficial city emblem.
The best views of the yard are from Ulgi Park above Ilsan Beach, where you can look down on the dry docks, each big enough to hold multiple supertankers simultaneously. The scale is difficult to process: the ships look small from a distance, and it takes a moment to realise they are enormous. For context, Hyundai Heavy Industries alone accounts for more than 15% of global shipbuilding output. A small exhibition at the Ulsan Museum covers the history of the shipyard and its role in Korean economic development.