 A cable car runs to the top of Gweongeumseong Peak at Mt. Sorak, Gangwon Province, in this file photo. The Environment Ministry has decided to allow additional cable car installments at national parks despite controversy. / Korea Times |
By Bae Ji-sook
The Ministry of Environment on Monday announced a set of guidelines designed to ease regulations restricting the construction of cable cars at national parks across the nation despite fierce opposition from environmentalists.
Installations will be encouraged to give wider access to disabled or elderly people to nature and boost local tourism. The ministry said it will make sure that the locations will be restricted to protect ecosystems and other wildlife.
A total of 13 local governments are pushing to build cable cars in eight national parks in their respective regions — Sokri, Jiri, Sorak, Sobaek, Weolchul, Bukhan, Hallyeohaesang and Dadohaesang. These parks host millions of visitors a year.
Under the new guidelines, each national or ocean park will be allowed to build one or two cable cars. The government-run national parks commission will decide on permits to build cable cars in phases.
The central government has approved lengthening routes from the current 2 kilometers to 5 and the raising the height from nine to 15 meters.
“We found cable cars are more friendly to the environment and people. If we can induce people to use them, it will be less damaging to the hiking routes suffering from millions of visitors a year,” said Choi Jong-won, a ministry official. “It will also allow disabled or elderly people, who normally wouldn’t be able to climb all the way up to the top of mountains, to enjoy the view.”
The government’s decision comes amid fierce debate over whether cable cars would be a benefit or damage the natural environment. While many environmentalists claim that the surrounding areas of the rails will be “destroyed,” developers and disabled peoplerights groups support the plan for “equal rights to enjoy the natural scenery.”
The administration said it has benchmarked several other environmentally-friendly cable cars in other countries. In Japan, China, Australia and several European countries, there are cable cars in the mountains, including national parks.
In Japan, there are 40 operating at 29 parks and there are 15 running in China. In Australia, “Skyrail” operating in the rainforest in Cairns, one of the largest national parks in the country, has become a major tourist attraction.
“In Mt. Sorak and Naejang, where there are short railed cable cars already operating, about 570,000 and 112,000 people using the facilities a year, respectively. It proves that it could be as profitable as it gets more popular. We will oblige the operators to donate 10 percent of the profit to improving the park facilities and environment,” Choi said.
The ministry also vowed to strictly monitor the preservation of the environment. It recently rejected Tongyeong of South Gyeongsang Province’s bid to install another cable car on Mt. Mireuk because it is within 2 kilometers of a natural ecology protection area.
케이블카 1,2곳 설치 강행
환경부는 월요일 국립공원내에 케이블카 설치 규제조건을 완화하는 가이드라인을 제시함으로 환경단체의 반발을 사고 있다.
케이블카의 설치는 장애인과 노약자들의 경치를 즐길 권리를 위해 탄력을 받되, 설치 지역은 자연보호를 위해 엄격히 규제될 예정이다.
이미 13개의 지자체가 자신들의 영역에 걸쳐져 있는 8개의 국립공원에 케이블카를 설치하기 위해 협상 중이다. 이들은 속리, 지리, 설악, 소백, 월출, 북한, 한려해상 그리고 다도해 국립공원이다. 이들 공원 방문 인원은 연간 수백만명이다.
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