Court halts Mount Nam gondola project

A court on Friday halted the Seoul metropolitan government's project to build a sightseeing gondola over the landmark Mount Nam. The Seoul Administrative Court said it canceled the city government's rezoning of land for the gondola project at the request of the operator of Namsan Cable Car, which has been in service since 1962. The cable car operator had filed the request with the court in September last year, claiming the rezoning violated criteria for lifting urban park zone designations. The operator had also requested an injunction, and the Seoul Administrative Court had granted it in October last year, leading to a suspension of the gondola project. The city government announced plans for the sightseeing cabins in 2023, with the aim of completing it this year. The gondola system was designed to cover an 832-meter section from near Myeongdong Station to the top of Mount Nam and improve accessibility for people with mobility challenges and ordinary citizens.