[앵커]
A cable car connecting the summit of a mountain 1,300m above sea level has been installed in Jeongseon, Gangwon-do.
This is Gariwangsan Mountain in Jeongseon, where the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic skiing event was held.
After conflicts over forest restoration and tourism facility development, it was concluded that the cable car was temporarily operated, and the official operation is scheduled for early next year.
Reporter Hong Seong-wook has been there.
[기자]
Gariwangsan Mountain in Jeongseon, where the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and alpine skiing events were held.
Instead of gondolas at the ski resort, cable cars go up one after another.
We climbed up the steep slope by cable car and reached the summit.
I arrived at the top of the mountain at an altitude of 1,300m in about 20 minutes by riding the Gariwangsan cable car. You can take in the outstanding scenery of the Baekdudaegan Mountains at a glance.
After the Olympics, the restoration and development of Mt. Gariwang has led to sharp conflicts between environmental organizations and residents, and between the government and local governments.
In the end, it was decided to restore the forest, but after operating the gondola as a cable car until the end of 2024, it was decided whether to demolish it again.
Local governments and residents welcome the operation of the cable car.
[조미연 / 케이블카 시범 운영 참가 공무원 : 이래서 이 가리왕산을 많은 사람이 사랑하고 아끼는구나, 이런 느낌이 들었고요. 남들이 볼 수 없는 풍경을 케이블카를 타고 올라올 수 있어서 더욱 좋았습니다.]
Environmental groups claim that restoration is a priority.
The area is connected to a place where access is strictly managed as a Forest Genetic Resources Protection Area, so there are no measures to prevent indiscriminate influx of tourists.
Above all, it warns that safety is not guaranteed as the ski slope has not been restored after construction and landslides continue to occur.
[박은정 / 녹색연합 자연생태팀장 : 산림유전자원보호구역을 그대로 관광화시키겠다는 것과 다름이 없어서 앞으로 생태복원이나 복원에 대한 문제가 계속해서 이야기가 되어야 하는데 그런 것과는 정반대로 가고 있는 현상이죠.]
Jeongseon-gun decided to improve problems such as additional environmental damage and the risk of safety accidents after undergoing a free trial operation for residents until January 1 next year.
After the official opening, we plan to hold sunrise and sunset events and install nearby convenience facilities to make it a representative tourist attraction for the region.
This is Hong Seong-wook of YTN.
Sungwook Hong of YTN (hsw0504@ytn.co.kr)
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