LONGEST CABLE CAR BEGINS OPERATION

[Anchor Lead]

A cable car connecting Lake Uiam and Samaksan Mountain in Chuncheon is the longest in Korea, measuring 3.6 km. Its operation began on Friday. Take a look.

[Pkg]

Samaksan Mountain located 655 m above sea level. Uniquely shaped rocks and lush trees create a picturesque scenery. Lake Uiam at the heart of the city is the highlight of the vista. This area is visited by 100,000 tourists every year. But the mountain is too steep, ridden with tough obstacles for children and the elderly to climb. A cable car takes off. The cable car is made entirely of glass, except for the ceiling. It crosses over the serene lake. The spotted construction site off in the distance is the Lego Land theme park, which is scheduled to open next year. The Bungeoseom solar power complex also comes into view. In just 18 minutes after departure, the cable car arrives at its destination on the slope of Samaksan Mountain. From here, tourists can take in the panoramic view of the Bukhangang River and downtown Chuncheon.

[Soundbite] Ahn Woo-jin(Sono International) : "The Samaksan cable car is the longest tourist cable car in S. Korea. It measures 3.61 km in distance."

Each tram is large enough to carry eight passengers. But because of the pandemic, only four passengers are permitted to ride in a single tram. The round-trip fare is between 23,000-28,000 won per person for adults. This cable car was built on private investment. But, ten percent of business revenues will be returned to the local community.

[Soundbite] Lee Chul-ho(Chuncheon City Government) : "We believe we can attract two million tourists, new and existing ones combined."

Chuncheon City government plans to promote and further develop the cable car into a top tourist attraction in connection with the Lake Uiam Walkway and Lego Land.