'Palgongsan Cloud Bridge' Likely to Be Canceled... Daegu City to Announce Final Position This Week

If the project is not completed by the 21st, 2.5 billion won in national funds must be returned
Donghwasa "Opposes infringement of execution" vs Palgongsan merchants "Continue promotion"

Aerial view of Palgongsan Cloud Bridge.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Regarding the Palgongsan Cloud Bridge project, Daegu City, which received a 'project withdrawal' request from Donghwasa Temple, plans to make a final decision on whether to proceed with the project within this week.

On the 14th, Daegu City stated in a press release, "If the 'Palgongsan Cloud Bridge Installation Project' does not proceed by the 21st, we will have to return 2.5 billion KRW in national funds."

The Palgongsan Cloud Bridge was selected as one of the seven core regional strategic projects when the 6th Daegu Tourism Comprehensive Development Plan was established in 2016, proposed as a leading project by the Korea Tourism Organization.

Since then, starting in 2017, the project entered the basic design phase, followed by an environmental impact review in 2018, wind tunnel testing, and at the citizens' roundtable meeting held on May 16 last year, it received 60.7% approval.

This year, it went through cultural heritage alteration approval (April) and park plan modification (September 10), and the detailed design was completed in October.

However, since the citizens' group's announcement of a 'Cloud Bridge Cancellation Statement' in September, the atmosphere has completely changed. In addition to opposition from civic groups, Donghwasa Temple sent an official letter to Daegu City on the 8th requesting 'project withdrawal' on the grounds that it infringes on the monastic environment.

In contrast, the Palgongsan Merchants Association is opposing the civic groups and demanding the 'continued promotion of the Cloud Bridge.'

Daegu City, after a meeting on the 8th with the Daegu City Council and representatives of civic organizations to coordinate opinions, expressed the position that "if Donghwasa Temple opposes, the project will be withdrawn," making it highly likely that the project withdrawal will be officially announced this week.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.