[Column] To Prevent Ski Resorts from Becoming 'Fixing the Barn After the Horse Has Bolted'...

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] On the afternoon of the 22nd, a lift ascending toward the top of the slope on the advanced course at Pocheon Bearstown suddenly began to run backward with a loud "thud." About 100 passengers were terrified, and even after stopping, dozens remained suspended in midair for over two hours. In 2006, two intermediate slope lifts at Bearstown also fell 7 meters, seriously injuring seven passengers.

At Deogyusan Resort in Muju-gun, Jeonbuk Province, gondolas stopped twice last October and December, and on January 18, 2015, at High1 Resort in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon Province, a lift stopped, ran backward, and then plunged sharply.

After each accident, ski resorts and the government promised to prevent recurrence and strengthen supervision. Following the 2006 Bearstown accident, the government revised the “Cableway and Railway Act,” which applied to cable cars and monorails in tourist areas, and comprehensively reorganized construction and safety regulations for facilities. In particular, by allowing administrative sanctions such as business suspension in the event of fatal accidents, ski resort operators were held accountable for safety management, not only the safety managers employed by the operators but also the operators themselves.

However, despite these promises, complaints about ski resort safety accidents continue unabated. According to the Korea Ski Resort Management Association, safety accidents at 15 ski resorts nationwide during the ski season reach 5,000 to 7,000 cases annually. Statements from ski resorts and local governments pledging thorough safety inspections and recurrence prevention measures after accidents are like locking the barn after the horse has bolted. Ski resorts must pass safety inspections by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority every year to operate. Questions arise about what the Korea Transportation Safety Authority has been doing.

The dictionary definition of “safety accident” is “an accident caused by lack of attention to safety.” The root cause of safety accidents lies in “irresponsibility.” Providing compensation and strengthening sanctions after accidents is a convenient but superficial response. Unless recurrence prevention measures are implemented with responsibility, the accident rate will not decrease. For a country aiming for a $40,000 national income era, these repeated safety accidents are shameful. Now, a fundamental change in awareness is necessary.

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