[Hwankyung Ilbo] The 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games kicked off on March 19 in Gangwon Province. What happened to Mount Gariwang, the controversial site of the last Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang?

It's been six years since Mount Gariwang, a "forest genetic resource reserve," was damaged by the development of an alpine downhill ski area for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and left unrestored.

Experts have pointed out the risks of landslides and water pollution, as well as environmental degradation, but the central government has been unable to do anything about it due to the insistence of Gangwon and Jeongseon counties, which have been stonewalling restoration promises in the name of revitalizing the local economy.

After the Olympics, following a social consultation, the Forest Service ordered restoration, but it was never implemented. When the Games were over, the community demanded, "Don't restore the already developed area, use it as a tourism resource."

On the other hand, environmental organizations are insisting that Mount Gariwang must be ecologically restored and preserved as originally planned and promised.

On Mount Gariwang, 780,000 square meters of forest were destroyed to make way for the Winter Olympics venues, and more than 58,000 trees were cut down.

On the other hand, Gangwon Province and Jeongseon County argue that the process of dismantling and collecting existing facilities for restoration causes more environmental damage.

Mount Gariwang is a "forest genetic resource reserve" and a natural forest that has been preserved for more than a thousand years, and is a class 1-2 ecological natural area, which means it is more protected than a national park. It is one of the highest levels of protected areas designated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

However, the current ski area development has destroyed the giant azalea colony, a natural community of high scientific value, at the summit of the lower peak. There is no trace of it now. A viewing deck was laid here and named the 'Ecological Observation Road'.

The yew, which is said to live for a thousand years and stand for a thousand years after death, which is abundant in the boreal region of Mount Gariwang, was also affected. Many of the large trees in these natural communities have been killed in the process of felling and replanting. Furthermore, the trees in the path of the gondola are still being cut down.

One of the other problems with restoring Mount Gariwang is landslides caused by cutting down trees. In fact, in 2018, heavy rains caused a river to swell, resulting in a landslide that killed several people, and repairs were carried out with an emergency budget.

There is also a link to pollution of drinking water. Every year, during heavy rains, silt is swept away, and the water flows from the Odaecheon to the Donggang and then to the Namhan River, which is a protected water source.

In fact, outside of Jeongseon County, most people don't even know that the Mount Gariwang ski area hasn't been restored. This is because the local government has been breaking its promises for six years, while also shying away from media attention.

Experts emphasize that efforts should first be made to restore Mount Gariwang, which is a Class 1 ecological natural area, and then discuss other forms of tourism development, such as eco-parks.

After a millennium of natural preservation, Mount Gariwang will have to wait a long time to be restored. After so much human destruction and neglect, the mountain may never be the same again.

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