Seoul City Council People Power Party Spokesperson Lee Hyowon Emphasizes Implementation of Namsan Gondola Installation in Statement
Lee Hyowon, spokesperson for the People Power Party in the Seoul Metropolitan Council, issued a statement on the 31st saying, "Seoul City must carry out the installation of the Namsan gondola without any setbacks."
The spokesperson said, "On the 30th, the court ruled in favor of the suspension of execution request filed by Korea Cable Industry Co., Ltd., the current operator of the Namsan cable car, regarding Seoul City's Namsan gondola project," adding, "Korea Cable Industry has monopolized the operation of the Namsan cable car for over half a century since 1962. Because Seoul City did not set an expiration date when granting the business rights in the past, a specific company has been enjoying monopoly profits until now."
He also stated, "Although about 40% of the cable car operation site used by this company is national land, the amount paid as national land usage fees was around 100 million won out of approximately 19.5 billion won in sales last year, showing extremely minimal public contribution. Despite this situation, Seoul City has neglected the development of Namsan for a long time," and added, "Until now, citizens had to either walk, use the cable car, or take the route bus to reach the top of Namsan. It is difficult for mobility-impaired people using wheelchairs, the elderly, and families with strollers to reach the summit. Namsan, a key landmark of Seoul, a proud global tourist city, has become a 'tree that cannot be climbed' or a 'pie in the sky' for some."
He criticized that in this situation, due to the greed of a specific company unwilling to lose its monopoly profits, citizens' rights to enjoy Namsan are being restricted, and Seoul City's key project is at risk of being hampered, which is truly lamentable.
Seoul City announced that it plans to immediately appeal the suspension of execution decision, but considering the inconveniences experienced by mobility-impaired people and the unreasonable monopoly behavior of the private operator, the court's acceptance of the request is a great disappointment to citizens hoping for the gondola installation, he regretted.
On the 5th, Mayor Oh Se-hoon attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Namsan gondola and emphasized, "This will be remembered as a groundbreaking turning point for the revival of Namsan." Moreover, this project is being pushed forward with a very tight schedule aiming for completion in November next year, followed by test operations and opening in spring 2026, so it was a hurried project. Now that its hands and feet are tied, there is doubt whether Mayor Oh's vision can truly become a reality, he said.
He added, "The Namsan gondola project was from the beginning a project where opposition from the existing operator was fully expected. If so, this situation should have been anticipated and prepared for. If this is due to Seoul City's careless response, it cannot avoid criticism. Seoul City is urged to thoroughly respond to future litigation regarding the Namsan gondola project and do its best to carry out the project without any setbacks."
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