설악의 두 얼굴: 멈춰선 케이블카의 경제성과 멈춰버린 등산객의 안타까운 비극 > K-wave Trends

The five-color cable car project is currently facing a huge problem called ‘lack of economic feasibility’. Civic and environmental groups predict that the cost, which was around 46 billion won at the beginning of the project, will skyrocket to 137 billion won by the time it is completed in 2029, and warn that this will be an unbearable burden on Yangyang-gun's finances. In particular, as the cost-benefit (B/C) analysis results are likely to fall below the feasibility standard, there are growing concerns that unreasonable project progress will ultimately lead to a waste of taxes for county residents and debt to future generations. It seems difficult to avoid criticism that the attempt to invest the financial stabilization fund for emergency situations into this project is an irresponsible treatment of a high-risk project.

The profit structure of the business is also very opaque and unrealistic. The annual operating profit calculated based on the current design is only about KRW 4.3 billion, but the amount needed to recover the enormous project costs each year is nearly twice that amount, at KRW 8.4 billion. Even if the cable car is operated continuously for the entire 30-year operation period, it is highly likely that a cumulative deficit will accumulate rather than recovering the investment cost. In the end, there is no choice but to fall into a vicious cycle of having to continuously increase usage fees to maintain profitability, which is highly likely to lead to catastrophe as tourists turn away and business runs aground prematurely. The demand for a complete reexamination of Yangyang County Governor-elect Kim Jeong-jung is a desperate cry from civil society not to watch this numerical collapse any longer.

While development discussions have become a hot political issue, the rugged terrain of Mt. Seorak continues to threaten the safety of hikers. The recent fall death of a hiker in his 60s near Gwimyeonam clearly demonstrates the wild dangers of Mt. Seorak. Accidents involving falls of 10 or 50 meters are a cross-section of mountain safety accidents that occur every week, and situations in which even human rescue is difficult due to the rugged terrain are repeated every time. In addition, the constant occurrence of large and small accidents, such as fracture accidents near Yeongsiam, once again reminds us that Seorak Mountain is not just a tourist destination, but a highly difficult mountainous area that requires thorough safety preparation and vigilance.

Meanwhile, efforts to protect and preserve the ecosystem, which is the essential value of Mt. Seorak, are quietly underway, independent of development issues. The project to release mountain goats and restore their habitat in the Songnisan area to connect the ecological axis of the Baekdudaegan Mountain Range is an important attempt to secure a migration route for wild animals from Seoraksan Mountain to Jirisan Mountain. While development for human convenience is strangling nature, these restoration projects contain future-oriented values ​​that seek the coexistence of humans and nature. In addition, like the management issue of Sokcho City's public property management of Mt. Seorak cultural facilities, the administrative review of the deterioration and management efficiency of already built facilities also shows how carefully and responsibly we must manage our assets.