South Korea’s cable car boom: Not everyone is excited

Rachel Linderman, a German resident of Seoul, was thrilled to hear the news that a new gondola lift will open as early as this year, connecting Myeong-dong Station to the top of Namsan.

This will be the second cable car at Namsan, following the first one that opened in 1961.

“When my parents visit Korea, I always take them there (Namsan via cable car). I love the panoramic views through the large glass windows, especially at night when the city lights up,” she said. Noting that on weekends, there are usually long lines to ride the cable car, Linderman said the new gondola will be a relief for foreign visitors hoping to visit one of the city’s most popular landmarks.

READ: LOOK: 10 cool things you can do in Seoul during winter

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to complete the construction of the 832-meter-long Namsan Gondola, capable of carrying up to 10 passengers at a time.

Choi Ho-seon, a resident of Yangyang in Gangwon Province, is excited about another lift: the Seoraksan Osaek cable car, which will carry visitors to the summit of one of the tallest mountains in South Korea.

“I never considered taking my mother, who is in her 80s, to the mountains. Once the Seoraksan cable car is completed, we will definitely take a ride on it,” he said. “As our society ages, the demand for cable cars will only continue to grow.”

Set to open in early 2027, the Seoraksan cable car will cover a total distance of 3.3 kilometers, traveling from Osaek-ri in western Yangyang to the mountain’s summit.

READ: Airlines gear up to ride booming travel to South Korea

“Tourists from Korea and abroad will have unforgettable experiences as they immerse themselves in the breathtaking views of Seoraksan’s stunning autumn foliage and snowy landscapes from the cable car,” said an official at the Gangwon Provincial Office.

Preparatory groundwork for the project will begin later this year, with completion expected by October of next year, according to the provincial office.

Also in 2027, Busan’s 427-meter-high Hwangnyeongsan, a mountain often called “the lungs of Busan” as it spans the city’s four central districts, including Yeonje-gu, Suyeong-gu, Busanjin-gu and Nam-gu, will also become home to a cable car.

Yeosu led the way

South Korea is experiencing a cable car boom.

Of the 41 cable cars currently operating nationwide, 17 have been built in the past five years, according to the Korea Transportation Safety Authority.

Yeosu, a coastal city in South Jeolla Province, serves as a model demonstrating the benefits of a successful cable car installation.

The city opened the Yeosu Maritime Cable Car in 2014, which was the first marine cable car in South Korea and links the mainland with Dolsan Island just across the water.

Drawing visitors to the spectacular views of the coastline and surrounding islands from the cable car, the city has attracted more than 13 million visitors annually, which led to a revitalization of the tourism industry, city officials said.

Wonju, a city in Gangwon Province, is also hoping to duplicate Yeosu’s success with its newly launched Sogeumsan Cable Car. This area already has the nation’s longest pedestrian bridge, which stretches 200 meters across a canyon.

The cable car opened on Feb. 26 with 22 cabins, each traveling a 972-meter route in the air. The round-trip journey takes approximately 12 minutes.

Park Hyung-bae, who runs a Korean noodle restaurant near the mountain area, said, “There have always been many tourists, but since the opening of the cable car, I feel like more YouTubers and foreigners are visiting. Personally, I plan to take my parents on a ride sometime.”

‘More harm than good’

Not everyone shares the excitement.

Some voice concerns about the environmental threats posed by cable cars built in mountain ecosystems.

“When you go to the cable car station, there’s a lot of trash because of the tourists. The noise is unbearable too,” said Jeong Hye-ok, a 57-year-old real estate agent in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

As an avid hiker and a member of a local hiking club for nearly a decade, she worries about reckless development and its impact on the conservation of mountain forests, which cover about 70 percent of South Korean territory.

“I think Korea is probably the only country that calls a graveyard a ‘sanso’ (mountain grave). A lot of our culture and art came from mountains and nature. It’s really sad to see our ecosystem getting damaged just for money. This causes more harm than good.”

Local environmentalists warn that cable car construction could threaten the habitats of endangered species.

“It’s estimated that about 300 out of the 1,000 wild goats in the country live in Seoraksan. Construction of a cable car station at the top of the mountain would ruin the habitat of these endangered animals,” said Seo Jae-chul, a senior ecological activist at Green Korea United.

“Our mountains are already facing serious threats due to climate change. What the government should focus on is not turning them into tourist attractions, but closely monitoring the ecological impacts of climate change and establishing measures to preserve biodiversity.”

Others call for a more cautious approach, noting that several cable cars are operating at a loss, contrary to the economic benefits touted by developers.

As of 2020, the Songdo Marine Cable Car in Busan posted a deficit of 1.039 billion won, while the Cheongpung Lake Cable Car in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, logged a loss of 2.36 billion won, according to regulatory filings with the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system.