Gurye Jirisan Cable Car Promotion Committee Urges Ministry of Environment to Change Policy

"Local Governments Must Be Guaranteed Participation in the Expert Committee"
"Various Routes Should Be Reviewed Considering the Unique Characteristics of Each Region"

The Jirisan Cable Car Promotion Committee of Gurye County (Chairman Kim Youngui) held a press conference at 11:00 a.m. on the 13th at the Seongsamjae parking lot in Jirisan National Park, strongly urging the Ministry of Environment to change its national park cable car policy.

The press conference was attended by the Gurye County Small Business Association, the Gurye County branch of the Korean Senior Citizens Association, the Regional Development Committee, the Gurye County branch of the Global Environment Preservation Welfare Union, as well as local residents, who together issued a joint statement.

The Jirisan Cable Car Promotion Committee of Gurye County (Chairman Kim Youngui) held a press conference on the morning of the 13th at the Seongsamjae parking lot in Jirisan National Park and issued a statement urging the Ministry of Environment to change its national park cable car policy. Provided by the Jirisan Cable Car Promotion Committee of Gurye County

In the statement, the Promotion Committee criticized the Ministry of Environment, saying, "Although the change in cable car policy is somewhat overdue, it must be implemented without further delay." The committee strongly argued that a rigid, central government-led decision-making structure cannot achieve sustainable regional development or preserve national parks.

In particular, the committee emphasized that local governments must be guaranteed participation in the expert committee, which is the core body for discussing the national park cable car policy. They warned that a committee composed solely of government officials and experts is bound to thoroughly exclude local circumstances and residents' opinions, which would ultimately lead to a failure to reach social consensus.

The committee also argued that the Ministry of Environment's long-standing principle of a "single route based on agreement between local governments" is an unrealistic premise and insisted that institutional change is necessary. The committee stated, "The reason the Jirisan cable car project has been stalled for such a long time is because the basic policy for installing aerial lifts in national parks only required autonomous adjustment between local governments." They stressed the need to review various routes that reflect the unique characteristics and conditions of each region.

The committee further pointed out that since the establishment of the Jirisan National Park development plan in 1963, cable cars have been officially considered as a key tool for regional development. They criticized the gap between the original policy intent and its current implementation, stating that the policy established 15 years ago fails to adequately reflect the changing demands of the public for leisure and tourism, balanced regional development, and accessibility for transportation-vulnerable groups.

Referring to the current situation in Gurye County, which faces the risk of depopulation and local extinction due to population decline and aging, the committee reiterated its position that the installation of a cable car could serve as a multifaceted regional recovery strategy, including attracting tourists, creating jobs, and improving accessibility for transportation-vulnerable groups.

Meanwhile, Gurye County Mayor Kim Sunho also expressed support for the committee's claims. Mayor Kim stated, "I hope the public will make a cool-headed judgment about the environmental benefits the national park could gain if the road passing through Jirisan and the Seongsamjae parking lot are ecologically restored and replaced with a cable car."

He added, "The single route approach based on agreement between local governments is far removed from reality. We must keep open the possibility of various routes and approaches that reflect the circumstances of each region, and ensure that local governments participate in the expert committee, which is the starting point for policy discussions, in order to achieve an effective policy shift."