The G3 Seoul Plan planning committee's special subcommittee on balanced development, which discusses Seoul's future growth strategy, visited Namsan on the 25th to review the current state of public access.
The G3 planning committee is a policy development task force of experts in various fields to help Seoul achieve its ninth-term goal of becoming a "global top 3 city (G3)."
This on-site review was the second field visit by the special subcommittee on balanced development, following the northeastern cultural and economic hub "Chang-dong and Sanggye." It was arranged to check the progress of the "Namsan gondola," a key project to improve access to Namsan, and to explore ways to develop Namsan into a stay-type tourist attraction.
The inspection was attended by Chairperson Nam Jin of the special subcommittee on balanced development, eight special subcommittee Commissioners, officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and construction and supervision personnel.
After receiving a briefing on project progress at the on-site office in Yejang Park, they toured the planned location for the lower station. They then moved to the summit area to review the planned location for the upper station and the conditions for accessing the summit.
Namsan is one of Seoul's four major nighttime landmarks. Last year, about 1.7 million people used the Namsan cable car.
However, compared with its reputation, transportation options to the summit and access conditions for people with limited mobility remain insufficient. Two 48-passenger cabins operate, leading to frequent waits of 1 to 2 hours on weekends or during peak season. Wheelchair and stroller users must travel about 846 meters from Myeong-dong Station to the existing cable car station, passing seven intersections.
In response, in Aug. 2024 the Seoul Metropolitan Government began construction of the Namsan gondola, which can connect Yejang Park near Myeong-dong Station on subway Line 4 with the Namsan summit over 832 meters in about three minutes. The plan was to transport more than 2,000 people per hour with 25 10-passenger cabins, and to allow wheelchair and stroller users to board.
But the plan was stalled by opposition from Korea Cable Car Industry, which has had a monopoly on cable car operations. Korea Cable Car Industry, which received its business permit in 1961, filed an administrative suit seeking to overturn Seoul's urban management decision to change the designation from "urban natural park zone" to "urban planning facility park."
In Dec. last year, the Seoul Administrative Court sided with Korea Cable Car Industry. The appeals court ruling is set for Sept. 17.
That day, the G3 planning committee Commissioners walked the roughly 350-meter uphill path from the Namsan summit bus stop to the summit itself, experiencing firsthand the inconveniences faced by citizens. At the site, the Commissioners agreed that improving poor access for transportation-disadvantaged groups, including older adults, people with disabilities, and families with infants and young children, is urgent.
Nam Jin, Chairperson of the G3 Seoul planning committee's special subcommittee on balanced development (a professor at the University of Seoul), said, "The Namsan gondola is 'the people's ride' that will let anyone travel safely and conveniently, and a piece of public infrastructure that will boost Seoul's tourism competitiveness," adding, "We will continue to show interest and provide support so the Namsan gondola can come to fruition in a way that meets citizens' expectations."