Mount Seorak cable car project approved despite opposition

A bird's eye view of the upper cable car stop on Mount Seorak in Gangwon [MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT]

A new cable car project on Mount Seorak, Gangwon championed by the president was approved by the Ministry of Environment despite fierce resistance from environmentalists.

The approval comes with a number of conditions related to the protection of the environment.

The project, first proposed in 1982, involves a 3.3-kilometer (2.1-mile) cable car from the Seoraksan National Park’s Osaek District in Yangayang County to Ggeutcheong, one of the peaks near the top of the Mount Seorak.

Seoraksan National Park was designated as a Biosphere Preservation District by the Unesco in 1982.

If constructed, it will be the second cable car on Mount Seorak. Currently, Mount Seorak has a cable car that has been operating since the 1970s. It travels to Gwongeumseong Fortress, 700 meters above sea level.

According to the environment ministry’s regional office in Wonju, Gangwon on Monday, it has agreed conditionally on the revised environmental impact assessment, submitted by the Yangyang County Office last December.

The revised assessment “contains measures to reduce the plan’s environmental impact,” said the ministry’s regional office.

The environmental impact of the cable car plan on Mount Seorak has been assessed since August 2015.

In 2019, the ministry concluded that the location of the construction plan is inadequate due to concerns over affecting the habitat of endangered species, including that of mountain goats known to live in the area.

Despite the rejection, a revision of the environmental impact assessment was requested after a committee in the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission concluded it is unfair not to offer another opportunity to revise the assessment.

The revised assessment includes the county office's plan to conduct site investigations and install sensor cameras to look after species designated by the country for protection, including endangered species. The cable car stop near the top of the mountain will be located 50 meters lower than in the original plan to reduce the distance from the trekking trail.

On top of the revised assessment, the ministry additionally asked for monitoring of protected species, such as mountain goats. A monitoring committee of experts will be formed to protect endangered and exotic plants and conduct investigations within the area.

The project has faced fierce opposition from civic groups and preservationists. They were disappointed with the ruling.

“The Environment Ministry lost its reason of existence as a governmental organization,” civic groups opposing the construction of the cable car said in a statement on Monday.

“The ministry ignored the public’s hopes to leave Mount Seorak as it is and the negative evaluations from the experts, but agreed to take President Yoon Suk Yeol’s request to move on with the cable car project.”

The new cable car project on Mount Seorak was one of Yoon’s policy pledges to improve Gangwon while he ran in the presidential election last year and one of Gangwon Governor Kim Jin-tae's pledges when running for the local election.

“The cable car plan is an eco-friendly and win-win business for both the nature and the people,” said Kim during a press conference on Monday. "Both the Gangwon province and the Yangyang county will make sure to fulfill the ministry's suggested conditions."

For the cable car to start operating in 2026 as planned, the only remaining process for the cable car plan to go through will be the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s approval for funding as it is expected to cost over 50 billion won ($38 million).

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]