Seoul City Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for Namsan Gondola on the 5th 'Namsan Yechan'
25 Ten-Person Cabins Operate 832m from Myeongdong Station to Namsan Summit
Basic Design Plan Minimizing Ecological and Scenic Impact on Namsan Unveiled
One of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's key projects, the 'Namsan Gondola' project, is set to officially begin. It will operate between Yejang Park near Myeongdong Station and the summit of Namsan, with completion scheduled for November next year, followed by trial runs and official operation starting in spring 2026.
On the morning of the 5th, Seoul City held a groundbreaking ceremony called 'Namsan Praise' at Yejang Park, planned as the lower station of the Namsan Gondola, marking the official start of the sustainable Namsan project. Attendees included Mayor Oh, the principal of Lira Elementary School adjacent to the gondola site, the chairman of Soongui Academy, the director of Namsan, as well as residents of Yejang-dong and Pildong.
The Namsan Gondola will operate along an 832-meter route between Yejang Park (lower station), located 200 meters from Myeongdong Station, and the summit of Namsan (upper station). Since the restriction of Namsan tourist buses in 2021, the only ways to reach the Namsan summit were by walking, cable car, or bus routes. With the gondola operation, accessibility is expected to improve significantly. Notably, the gondola cabins installed on Namsan will accommodate wheelchairs and strollers. This will allow elderly people, parents with children, persons with disabilities, and other transportation-vulnerable citizens who previously found it difficult to reach the summit to easily and comfortably ascend and enjoy views of Seoul’s landscape.
Demolition work began last month. Since August 12, Seoul City has started foundational work at the planned site for the lower station. Main construction is scheduled to begin in November after obtaining various permits. The construction company was finally selected as Shindonga Construction in July. Shindonga Construction passed all review stages in the design evaluation for the Namsan Gondola installation project, including sector-specific design documents and basic design eligibility, and was designated as the qualified firm for detailed design.
On this day, Seoul City attracted attention by revealing the basic gondola design and construction plans that minimize ecological and landscape impacts on Namsan, reflecting advisory opinions from the Green Seoul Citizens Committee. First, among the five support towers needed for gondola operation from the lower to upper stations, only two intermediate towers will be installed inside Namsan Park. Additionally, considering landscape impact, the height of the towers was lowered by up to 15 meters from the basic plan to between 35 and 35.5 meters.
When installing intermediate towers adjacent to ecological landscape conservation areas, to minimize tree damage within these areas, materials will be transported using a temporary cableway to create an aerial path. Furthermore, terrain damaged by tower installation will be restored, and existing vegetation replanted, ensuring that the permanently damaged park area does not exceed 20 square meters, which is more than 20 times smaller than originally planned.
Seoul City added, "In preparation for an increase in visitors and tourists to Namsan after the gondola is established, plans will also be made to restructure the summit area, including the creation of a new Namsan Sky Forest Trail."
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