Seoul City: "If We Win in December, Namsan Gondola Construction Will Resume... Targeting 2027 Opening"

Construction Halted Due to Korea Cable Car Industry Lawsuit
City Urges Passage of Railway Transportation Act Amendment in National Assembly

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has announced its goal to immediately resume construction and open the Namsan Gondola in the first half of 2027 if it wins the ongoing lawsuit related to the project.

According to the city on October 17, construction on the Namsan Gondola project began in September last year but was halted due to a lawsuit filed by Korea Cable Car Industry, the operator of the Namsan Cable Car, and a subsequent court injunction. The city is now awaiting a court ruling scheduled for December 19.

Korea Cable Car Industry filed the lawsuit, claiming that the Namsan Gondola infringes on its business rights. As a result, construction was suspended with 15 percent of the project completed. The city stated, "If we win the lawsuit, we will immediately resume construction and aim to reopen the Namsan Gondola to citizens and tourists in the first half of 2027."

Additionally, the city positively assessed the recently proposed partial amendment to the Railway Transportation Act in the National Assembly and urged its passage.

The amendment would impose conditions on cable car projects, such as requirements for public interest and the return of profits to society. It also includes a provision allowing local governments to set limits on the duration of railway business permits through municipal ordinances.

If the amendment passes, Korea Cable Car Industry, which has operated the Namsan Cable Car exclusively for over 60 years and has been criticized for insufficient public contributions, will be affected.

Since 2017, the city has submitted four requests to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for amendments to the Railway Transportation Act, but each attempt failed in the National Assembly due to concerns over property rights infringement and retroactive application.

Separately from the lawsuit, the city is also working with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to revise the Enforcement Decree of the Urban Parks and Green Spaces Act, which would allow immediate resumption of gondola construction. The legislative notice was completed on July 21.

The proposed revision to the Enforcement Decree would ease height restrictions under certain conditions to allow cable car projects in urban natural park zones for the convenience of visitors. The city stated, "As the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has yet to take follow-up action, we will continue to urge the government, which holds the authority to amend the law, to move forward quickly."

Kim Changgyun, Director of Balanced Development at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "The Namsan Gondola is more than just an expansion of transportation to Namsan; it is a solution that preserves the Namsan ecosystem and returns Namsan fully to the citizens. We ask the government and the National Assembly to join forces so that citizens and both domestic and international tourists can enjoy Namsan conveniently and safely."