DISPUTE OVER BUILDING RESORT IN JIRISAN

[Anchor Lead]

The government of Hadong-gun County in Gyeongsangnam-do Province is working on a project to build a resort in Jirisan Mountain. But local residents and environmental activists are strongly opposing the development, stressing it would cause huge damage to nature.

[Pkg]

​Hyeongjebong Peak, Jirisan Mountain. Altitude: 1,115 meters above sea level. In 2015, the Hadong-gun County government devised a plan to develop this area into a tourist destination, modeled after Switzerland's Jungfrau. This is the so-called "Alps Hadong Project." The county government plans to spend a fund of some 160 billion won to build a 15-kilometer mountain railway and a 5.8-kilometer monorail around this area. They also plan to build a resort-type hotel and art gallery to turn the region into an international tourist destination.

[Soundbite] LEE CHUNG-YEOL(HADONG-GUN COUNTY GOV'T) : "Demand for tours to mountainous regions is increasing globally. South Korea has great potential to attract such tourists, but it lacks needed facilities. The county government will implement the project in a manner that minimizes damage on nature."

However, local residents and environment groups strongly oppose the plan. They believe the development will inevitably destroy the mountain's eco-system and damage the environment. They stress the need to preserve the Hyeongjebong-Peak, highlighting its ecological value as a route leading to the Jirisan National Park and a major habitat for Asiatic black bears.

[Soundbite] CHOI SE-HYUN(ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST) : "Jirisan Mountain can retain its value as a natural resource, only when it is kept intact. We believe that the mountain should not be a subject for development, and that it must be preserved."

Amid disputes over the project, the central government is working to broker a compromise. However, a bumpy road is expected ahead of the negotiations, as the two sides are digging in their heels.