For the expansion of its tourism infrastructure, South Korea is increasingly using cable cars from French maufacturer POMA. The latest coup: a cable car connecting the city of Mokpo to the island of Gohado.

With its three stations, the 3.3-kilometre line to the tourist island has been running since September 2019, via Yudalsan Sculpture Park, Second Rock and First Rock – historic sites that are popular with Koreans and tourists alike. In 55 gondolas, one third of them with a glass bottom, passengers can enjoy a spectacular view of the city, the archipelago and the sea.

The “Mokpo Marine Gondola” was designed such that no stanchions had to be constructed in the Yellow Sea. At 1.2 kilometres, the system has the longest span between two stanchions that POMA has ever implemented on a single-cable track.

Furthermore, the world’s tallest concrete stanchion for a single-cable track has been constructed: it is 150 metres high. Another distinguishing feature is the halfway station at an angle of 68 degrees, which allows routing over the sea and attractions at the same time as protecting the unique locations.

The cable car is used primarily for tourism but it can also be used as an urban mode of transport if necessary, if the road bridge is closed.

The “Mokpo Marine Gondola” takes its place in a series of POMA cable cars in South Korea that are enjoying huge commercial success, such as in Yeosu since 2014 and in Sacheon since 2018. Private investor Kwangju used the French manufacturer, as a range of challenges had to be overcome.

For example, POMA had to design a cable car over 1,000 metres with no stanchions, which meant a long lead time for the 150-metre concrete stanchion. The construction time amounted to a total of 20 months.

Nonetheless, the hard work has paid off: the “Mokpo Marine Gondola” is the biggest cable car success in the history of tourism in South Korea. From 6th September 2019 to 30th January 2020, the operators counted around 700,000 passengers.

People are even happy to pay 22 euros per person for a premium ticket for the glass-bottomed gondolas, as the Mokpo management reports: “the passengers say that the price and waiting time are worth it, as the journey is over 3.4 kilometres long and very impressive.” Fotos: POMA