Munsu Stadium Sports Complex

Built for the 2002 World Cup, the Munsu Stadium overlooks a vast park and sporting complex that offers the residents of Ulsan many opportunities to enjoy a variety of recreational activities.

The biggest feature of the complex is obviously the Stadium itself – home to the Hyundai Tigers K-League soccer team, and sometimes host of international friendlies, or screenings of overseas World Cup matches for the Korean team. The stadium seats 44,466 people, though it rarely sees capacity crowds these days. The last full house was when the Hyundai Tigers won the AFC League Championships in 2012, against Al-Alhi from Saudi Arabia.

The building also has a wedding hall, because they have do something to pay for the maintenance of the grass (rumoured to be over a million dollars a year).

Behind the stadium lies a smaller soccer pitch with a track and stands that hold 2,590 people, along with several practice pitches that can be rented out.

On the other side of the parking area from the 2nd stadium is the swimming pool, which also has agym. The opening hours are Weekdays 06:00-22:00, Saturday 06:00-18:00. Prices are listed below.

Here is a rough translation of the pricing board at the swimming pool:

There is also a “Skin SCUBA Diving Pool”:

Around this area, there is a lot of open space for strolling, biking with kids, etc. There are some lovely gardens and walkways, including an extensive track around the lake. In the summer, the end of the pond is home to blooming water-lilies and lotus plants, with a boardwalk built to help you appreciate their beauty. There is also a rose garden by the main entrance to the Stadium, and a trellised path that grows a variety of flowers. The landscaping is quite beautiful, from cultivated shrubs to a “wilderness” area on the far side of the lake where quiet walkers may startle rabbits or pheasants. The whole complex is ringed by a cycling path and a rubberized jogging track.

The lake can also be enjoyed from the Whale and Swan Boats, which are available to rent. 10,000 won will get you 40 minutes of cruising around the pond. Bring bread for feeding the ducks or fish that will inevitably follow you around.

Swan and Whale paddle boats on the lake

There is also a large outdoor concert venue overlooking the lake, which often hosts K-Pop performances, or screenings of Korean games during the World Cup. During the day, there is a smallcoffee shop and convenience store where you can buy refreshments, and sit at patio tables.

Out behind the lake, tucked into a small parking lot which seems to house clubs for Korean Veterans, there is also a new Squash Courts building.

Court use is for 1 hour time slots. The courts are open Mon-Fri from 10:00-21:00 (one-time use tickets are available 10:00-18:00), Saturday and Holidays 09:00- 18:00 for all sections. The facilities are new, and looked quite shiny and clean when we popped our heads in. Here are the specs:

Currently under construction, just across the road from the Squash Courts is the new Baseball Stadium, which will seat 12,000 Lotte Giants fans in their 2nd Home Stadium, starting summer 2014. This photo was taken in Oct 2013. Still a bit of work to be done before the first pitch is thrown.

Now, all the way back on the other side of the main stadium, if you cross the road and walk up about a million steps, you’ll find a whole ‘nother section of sports and recreation options available to you.

At the very top of the steps, or to the right of the parking lot if you drive up the hill, is a large inline-skating track, which circles around a large paved area that is open for a number of in-line (or roller) skate activities. There is also a small inline skate arena, with seating and banked sides.

 

To the left of these, there are a number of tennis courts, with both hard and clay tops. The rates are posted below. I couldn’t find any distinct hours of operation, but a list of bookings suggested they’re open from 10:00-21:00.

Just across from the tennis courts, at the top end of the inline skate track, there is the Munsu Shooting Range. Korea has very strict gun laws, prohibiting anyone but military personnel or police from carrying firearms. The only place citizens can go to shoot guns are licensed ranges, like this one (see David’s article on the Gyeongju range for another option in the area).

Finally, in the farthest-flung corner of the complex, hidden behind the tennis courts and parking lot, there is the Munsu Lawn Bowling Rinks (is “rinks” the official term for a bowling lawn?). Unfortunately, the building was closed, and they didn’t seem to have any easy-to-interpret information available on the doors, so all I can tell you is that this exists.

And there you have it. The Munsu Sports Complex. Lots to do for everyone, from quiet strolls around the lake to rowdy sets of lawn bowling, to watching ladies in hanbok attend family weddings. It’s a great place to spend a sunny afternoon being active, or drinking beer while watching other people run around.

For Information or Help, please call 052-220-2191~2193. There may not be an English speaker available, so it’s best to have a Korean speaker call.