From Sea to Sky: Pohang City Begins Full-Scale Review of Marine Cable Car and UAM Complex Tourism Development

A Differentiated Marine and Aviation Linkage Model...
Seeking a New Leap Forward with a Private Investment Proposal
Careful Review of Project Implementation Through Public Deliberation,
Focusing on Feasibility and Public Acceptance

Pohang City has recently received a private investment proposal for a complex tourism development project that combines a marine cable car connecting the Hwanho-Yeongildae offshore section with urban air mobility (UAM), and has begun a full-scale review of the proposal.

Yeongildae, Pohang City.

Unlike existing marine cable car projects, this proposal is the nation's first marine tourism model that combines urban air mobility (UAM), also known as "drone taxis," with a marine cable car. It goes beyond simple transportation infrastructure to present a Pohang-specific, stay-type tourism content that connects the city, coast, and airspace.

The plan is to first promote the installation of a cable car along the Hwanho-Yeongildae section. In connection with the cable car operation, UAM content will be introduced to link the airspace, creating a new complex mobility and experiential tourism model in which the cable car connects the coastline, while drone taxis connect the city and the airspace.

While UAM demonstration projects currently being piloted in the Seoul metropolitan area are facing difficulties in commercialization due to urban density and safety concerns, Pohang is considered the most suitable location in Korea for realizing a marine and aviation complex tourism model. This is due to its wide offshore areas, flexible airspace, and environmental advantages that allow for both tourism and demonstration projects.

The city plans to thoroughly examine the project's economic feasibility, the validity of the private investment method, and public acceptance to avoid repeating the failures of the previous marine cable car project, which had been stalled for a long time due to delays in the operator's funding and was perceived by some citizens as a "failed project." The city will make a careful decision on whether to proceed with the project after going through public deliberation procedures such as review by the Private Investment Deliberation Committee and approval by the city council.

In particular, the current review will focus on whether the project can supplement Pohang's stay-type tourism infrastructure. Advanced transportation and tourism infrastructure such as cable cars and UAM, in line with the trend toward stay-type tourism, are expected to greatly contribute to increasing the duration of tourist stays and revitalizing the local economy.

An official from Pohang City stated, "The submission of a proposal does not mean the project is confirmed. We will thoroughly verify the feasibility and public acceptance, and carefully evaluate from multiple perspectives whether it strengthens Pohang's tourism competitiveness and aligns with the city's future strategies before making a decision."