Climate Ministry Halts Yeongnam Alps Cable Car Project Over Environmental Concerns
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment has blocked a planned 2.46 km cable car in the Yeongnam Alps (a mountain region in Ulsan’s Ulju County), asking for a re-evaluation of the environmental impact assessment. The ministry cited risks including permanent damage to high-quality vegetation, proximity to rare high-altitude wetlands and habitats for endangered species, potential rockfall at the upper station, and visual harm to the iconic Dinosaur Ridge landscape. Officials also questioned the project’s long-term visitor demand, noting many existing tourist cable cars nationwide run at a loss, and highlighted unresolved local conflicts. Supporters say the cable car would boost mountain and cultural tourism and local economies, while religious groups and conservationists warn it would damage the environment and the sacred atmosphere of nearby Tongdosa (a major Buddhist temple). The ministry suggested alternatives and urged caution before proceeding, a decision that may influence more than 20 other proposed cable car projects across the country ahead of local elections.
