Decision on Landmark Marine Tourism Cable Car Project, Now the Optimal Timing... 'Conflict Project' Must Be Quickly Resolved to Overcome COVID Slump

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Conceptual image of the longest domestic offshore tourist cable car being promoted by Busan Blue Coast.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Voices demanding a decision on the domestic longest ‘marine cable car’ project, a grand undertaking in Busan tourism that began under Mayor Seo Byung-soo and has passed through three Busan mayors including Oh Keo-don and Park Hyung-joon, are growing louder.

As the project decision has been delayed through three Busan mayors, the momentum of the project implementer is waning, and public opinion among citizens is divided, resulting in only time spent on ‘heated debates’.

Even though ‘love calls’ have come from other cities such as Seoul, the metropolitan area, and Ulsan, the implementer insists on starting first in Busan, claiming that Busan was where they initially ‘grabbed the belt’.

The project implementer is ‘Busan Blue Coast.’ Its parent company is IS Dongseo, a local Busan company and a nationwide construction firm. This is a major reason why they want to succeed with this project in Busan.

It is well known that since the news broke that IS Dongseo, famous nationwide for constructing super high-rise apartments, was taking on this grand-scale marine tourism cable car project, other major cities have approached this company for ‘consultations.’

From the company’s perspective, it is worrisome to keep waiting indefinitely for a decision from Busan City.

There is also a significant concern that an idea symbolizing Korean tourism might leak outside the region. Losing the tourism brand adjectives like ‘best’ and ‘largest’ would mean losing everything, which is a unique characteristic of tourism projects.

From the standpoint of a private company investing enormous funds to create a symbol and landmark of Busan tourism, the basic local governments are voicing conflicting opinions such as ‘it must be done quickly’ and ‘it cannot be done due to landscape concerns,’ while public opinion is divided, and Busan City is just holding onto the project, leaving it stuck in limbo.

As controversy over the 4.2 km-long domestic longest marine tourism cable car project connecting Busan’s Haeundae and Igidae accelerates, calls are growing to promptly conduct public discussions to early resolve conflicts within the local community.

Busan City officially received the project proposal from Busan Blue Coast, the marine tourism cable car project implementer, on May 11, and is currently collecting final opinions from about 30 related organizations, including relevant departments, the basic local governments of Nam-gu, Haeundae-gu, and Suyeong-gu, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Ministry of Environment, and central government agencies.

Busan City stated that after receiving supplementary materials from the project implementer, it will decide whether to proceed with the project, including public discussions.

Meanwhile, some groups such as Suyeong-gu and environmental organizations are publicly voicing opposition, generating conflicts between regions.

Suyeong-gu’s district mayor has directly convened meetings with government-affiliated organizations and even held group-led rallies on Gwangalli Beach, showing strong opposition.

Dozens of banners opposing the cable car installation, mainly by local government-affiliated groups, are hung throughout Suyeong-gu.

Many of these banners are placed in locations where installation is not possible, but the district office has taken no particular action, implying tacit approval of the opposition publicity.

The district office-led opposition campaign has also drawn unfavorable views.

A tourism industry official operating lodging businesses in Suyeong-gu pointed out that ‘public opinion manipulation’ could distort actual public sentiment.

In April, a joint public opinion survey conducted by a local media company and the Busan City Council through the professional polling agency ‘Urban and Space Research Institute’ asked 1,000 citizens, resulting in 43.5% supporting the marine tourism cable car project, significantly ahead of the 27.8% opposing it.

There is no guarantee that public opinion will remain as is. Suyeong-gu is fighting the opposition as if its life depends on it. Considering stakeholders and Busan citizens, the argument to find answers through swift public discussion seems persuasive.

Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon has repeatedly emphasized since the April by-election campaign period the need for a quick decision on long-delayed pending projects.

He meant that the rising fatigue among project implementers, citizens, and academia due to the conflict between supporters and opponents is undesirable.

Since public opinion on the marine tourism cable car project is divided, calls for promptly announcing a public discussion roadmap to resolve conflicts are gaining strength.

A local tourism industry official said, “From the project implementer’s perspective, the project has been long delayed over seven years since the corporation was established in 2014, passing through three mayors?Seo Byung-soo, Oh Keo-don, and Park Hyung-joon?and considerable fatigue has accumulated,” adding, “If a conclusion is not reached soon, the project’s momentum will significantly decline.”

He added, “If more time is taken, from this fall, the 2022 presidential and local election phases will unfold, and the project is likely to be delayed again, so above all, a quick decision-making is required.”