Environmental groups are urging the deletion of specific provisions in a special law regarding the administrative integration of Jeonnam and Gwangju that they claim could facilitate the construction of a cable car in Jirisan National Park.
On October 10, citizen groups, including the Citizens Group for Protecting National Parks and the Jirisan Protection Coalition, expressed concerns that the draft special law aimed at the administrative integration of Jeonnam and Gwangju contains hidden intentions for installing a cable car in Jirisan. They specifically pointed out the problematic provisions in Article 264, which allows the mayor of the newly integrated special city to request the Minister of Climate, Energy, and Environment to exempt certain areas of national park status, potentially paving the way for cable car installation. The groups highlighted that this clause undermines the National Park Act's protections and could lead to detrimental environmental impacts.
Furthermore, the groups criticized Article 271, which includes provisions allowing the construction of cable cars in natural parks, and called into question other related articles that could weaken regulations governing development projects. They argue that these changes could trigger unrestricted deforestation for solar power installations within natural parks, further threatening the environment. The activists are vigorously demanding the removal of these controversial clauses, fearing they may transform Jirisan National Park into an area vulnerable to reckless development and diminish existing environmental regulations.
The activist groups emphasize the critical role of the National Park Act in safeguarding Jirisan and argue that the new legislation, if enacted as is, poses a significant threat to environmental conservation. Their outcry is a reflection of broader concerns among communities regarding the balance between development ambitions and the need to protect vital natural resources amidst ongoing urban integration plans.
