Overcrowding on Mt. Seoraksan trails causing environmental damage

입력 2024.11.19 (00:27)

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[Anchor]

Mt. Seoraksan, known for its beautiful mountain scenery, is an iconic tourist destination in South Korea.

However, an overwhelming number of hikers on the trails of Mt. Seoraksan is causing significant damage to nature.

Reporter Jung Sang-bin has the story.

[Report]

The Osaek course, a major trail leading to the summit of Mt. Seoraksan, is experiencing severe erosion.

The steep trail has exposed tree roots.

Unable to withstand the constant flow of hikers year-round, the soil has been helplessly washed away.

[Kim Hyun-joo/Cheonan resident: "I worry about stepping on something without realizing it or tripping while focusing on climing up..."]

The rocks scattered across the ground are also unstable, posing a threat to hikers.

As the trails are damaged, the safety of visitors is also at risk.

The area around the Daecheongbong Peak has transformed into a barren landscape.

Native trees such as the Korean fir and the Siberian dwarf pine that used to grow around the trails have disappeared.

Despite over 2 million visitors each year, proper forest restoration has not been carried out.

The Green Korea United investigated the level of damage on three trails in Mt. Seoraksan and found that, over the past 10 years, soil erosion has averaged more than 30 cm in some areas.

[Seo Jae-cheol/Specialist at Green Korea United: "Recently, with natural disasters caused by climate change, the level of damage done to this mountain has been the highest among all national parks..."]

There are calls for expanding the reservation system to limit the number of hikers, but the national park authorities are hesitant due to concerns about complaints.

[Jo Du-haeng/Seoraksan National Park Office, Trail Facilities Division Chief: "We plan to introduce it when there is a clear purpose that visitors can fully understand, such as ecological and scenic value, and safety."]

It is urgent to establish policies that provide convenience for hikers while simultaneously restoring the damaged ecosystem.

This is KBS News Jung Sang-bin.

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  • Overcrowding on Mt. Seoraksan trails causing environmental damage
    • 입력 2024-11-19 00:27:19
    News 9
[Anchor]

Mt. Seoraksan, known for its beautiful mountain scenery, is an iconic tourist destination in South Korea.

However, an overwhelming number of hikers on the trails of Mt. Seoraksan is causing significant damage to nature.

Reporter Jung Sang-bin has the story.

[Report]

The Osaek course, a major trail leading to the summit of Mt. Seoraksan, is experiencing severe erosion.

The steep trail has exposed tree roots.

Unable to withstand the constant flow of hikers year-round, the soil has been helplessly washed away.

[Kim Hyun-joo/Cheonan resident: "I worry about stepping on something without realizing it or tripping while focusing on climing up..."]

The rocks scattered across the ground are also unstable, posing a threat to hikers.

As the trails are damaged, the safety of visitors is also at risk.

The area around the Daecheongbong Peak has transformed into a barren landscape.

Native trees such as the Korean fir and the Siberian dwarf pine that used to grow around the trails have disappeared.

Despite over 2 million visitors each year, proper forest restoration has not been carried out.

The Green Korea United investigated the level of damage on three trails in Mt. Seoraksan and found that, over the past 10 years, soil erosion has averaged more than 30 cm in some areas.

[Seo Jae-cheol/Specialist at Green Korea United: "Recently, with natural disasters caused by climate change, the level of damage done to this mountain has been the highest among all national parks..."]

There are calls for expanding the reservation system to limit the number of hikers, but the national park authorities are hesitant due to concerns about complaints.

[Jo Du-haeng/Seoraksan National Park Office, Trail Facilities Division Chief: "We plan to introduce it when there is a clear purpose that visitors can fully understand, such as ecological and scenic value, and safety."]

It is urgent to establish policies that provide convenience for hikers while simultaneously restoring the damaged ecosystem.

This is KBS News Jung Sang-bin.

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