◀ Again ▶
Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do is promoting the installation of a five-color ropeway within Seoraksan National Park.
To prepare for the opening in 2026, public officials have spent tens of millions of won on overseas training courses in Europe.
However, it turned out that these also included civil servants who were actually three months away from retiring.
Journalist Lee Jun-ho covered the story exclusively.
◀ Report ▶
The Osaek Ropeway will be installed on a 3.3km section from Osaek District of Seoraksan Mountain to the summit near Daecheongbong Peak.
After stalling for more than 40 years due to environmental destruction and disputes over profitability, the project was approved last year with conditions, on the premise of reducing environmental damage.
As the project gained momentum, officials from Yangyang County and the National Assembly also traveled to Europe for training at a cable car tourist site last month.
However, most training reports made public have been kept confidential.
I requested disclosure of information and reviewed the training schedule.
The names of European cable car companies and tourist destinations such as Austria and Switzerland are listed, and it is written as a visit to an institution.
I asked who he met.
[양양군 관계자 (음성변조)]
“We couldn’t talk to each other well, so I couldn’t meet their employees. In front of the company there was a model of a cable car like this. How could I see it… and the local government didn’t come…”
The inspection team did not meet with local government officials or the cable car operator.
I finally asked the question to the cable car operator.
[양양군 관계자 (음성변조)]
“There was a local guide, so we asked the people present what we were curious about…”
Most of the training participants were executive-level officials, including county governors and county council chairs.
However, the head of the Department of Social Policy was actually three months away from retiring.
Construction of the Osaek cable car will begin in two years.
I asked the relevant public official for his position.
[양양군 복지정책과장 (음성변조)]
“I don’t think there’s anything to tell you.”
However, local government spending standards state that simple inspections should be avoided and that foreign travel for public service purposes is not permitted, especially for civil servants who are about to retire.
There has been an official screening of overseas business travel, but why have no questions been raised?
Four out of five judges were Yangyang County officials and unanimously approved the business trip without comment.
The review was conducted in writing only, without a meeting.
[김동일/미래양양시민연대 대표]
“You should have done a thorough analysis and investigation before returning, but you only went there to have fun. Who will admit it? The citizens…”
A budget of nearly 50 million won was spent on overseas training.
Regarding sending a civil servant into retirement, Yangyang-gun explained: “Even if he is about to retire, he can share his overseas training experience with other civil servants.”
This is Junho Lee from MBC News.
Video coverage: Choi Ki-bok/Gangwon Yeongdong
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