Oh Sehoon: "Ministry Is Making the President Out to Be a Liar"... Urges Revision of Namsan Gondola Enforcement Decree

Construction halted as revision of regulation-easing decree is delayed

Even the president raised the issue, but the ministry is dragging its feet

Mayor Oh Sehoon: "All they do is declare they will end the monopoly"

"I won't give up until citizens' rights are guaranteed"

Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon called on the government to revise an enforcement decree over the Namsan Gondola project, saying, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is making the president out to be a liar." The criticism is that although President Lee Jae-myung pointed to the monopoly on the Namsan Cable Car and called for institutional improvements, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has delayed easing regulations, allowing the monopoly to continue.

In a Facebook post on November 10, Mayor Oh said, "What good is it just to declare that you will end the monopoly? I suspect the ministry may be delaying the revision of the enforcement decree to help maintain the cable car monopoly."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. Yonhap News.

The Namsan Cable Car has been operated exclusively by Hanguk Sakdo Gong-eop for more than 60 years, since 1962. President Lee himself has pointed to the monopoly, asking, "Why should a particular individual enjoy special treatment for decades?" A revision to the Act on the Transportation of Track Vehicles subsequently introduced a reauthorization process for existing operators as well. However, although the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced a proposed amendment to the enforcement decree in June 2025 to ease height restrictions, it has not finalized the revision. The ministry is reportedly reviewing opinions for and against the proposal submitted during the legislative notice period. The Seoul Metropolitan Government says it can resume the project independently of the lawsuit once the decree is revised.

Mayor Oh also criticized the delay, saying, "The ministry announced the proposed amendment in the summer of 2025, but has yet to put the final stamp on it, even after more than a year." He noted that even if the decree were revised immediately, the Namsan Gondola would not be able to open until the second half of 2029. According to the city, it will be difficult to secure alternative transportation before the existing cable car's reauthorization review, leaving it with no choice but to extend the monopoly.

Mayor Oh added, "The ministry says it wants the incumbent to defend its title, yet it is blocking challengers from getting into the ring. What good is it just to declare that you will end the monopoly?"

He also emphasized the inconvenience to residents caused by delays to the gondola project. He said that bus queues at the top of Namsan stretch for more than 100 meters and that people with disabilities who use wheelchairs have difficulty boarding the cramped cable cars, adding, "The ministry is making itself an enemy of the right of people with disabilities to mobility."

Mayor Oh said, "I will never give up until the monopoly on the Namsan Cable Car is truly resolved and residents' right to enjoy Namsan is more broadly guaranteed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.