Construction of new Namsan gondola lift to finish in 2026

Each lift to take up to 10 people from Myeong-dong Station to Namsan in 5 mins

This rendered image shows gondola lifts operating its 832-meter-long route from Myeongdong Station to Namsan Yejang Park located on top of Namsan. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday that it will soon officially begin construction for the Namsan Gondola, a five-minute gondola lift route from Myeong-dong Station to the top of Seoul's central mountain, to be completed in spring 2026.

During the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, the city government said it will officially begin constructing the 832-meter-long gondola lift route in November this year. Once completed, each gondola will take passengers from Myeong-dong Station to Namsan Yejang Park, located atop Namsan.

According to the city government, up to 25 gondolas will be in operation every hour. Each gondola will be able to carry up to 10 passengers and also be big enough to take passengers in wheelchairs or strollers.

Since Namsan closed off accessibility for private tour buses in 2021, visitors have had to take a cable car from Jung-gu or ride a public bus to reach the top of Namsan.

While the cable car service to Namsan has been in operation for more than 60 years, it has faced criticism from the public due to accessibility issues such as overcrowding. Unlike the Namsan Gondola, only one cable car is usually in operation at a time, which leads to long waiting lines when visitor numbers to Namsan are at their peak.

With the construction of the gondola lift route, the city government anticipates accessibility to be improved for its visitors.

After finishing construction around the end of November 2025, the city government added that it would conduct trial runs in the first half of 2026 before officially opening to the public in spring 2026.

“Once the gondola lifts begin operation, the city government expects that the vitality, vibrancy, attractiveness and competitiveness of Namsan will all improve at a tremendous pace in the near future,” said Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon at Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony. “The installation of the gondola lifts will be remembered by future generations as a breakthrough in revitalizing Namsan.”

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon delivers his speech during Thursday's groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of "Namsan Gondola" at Namsan Yejang Park in Jung-gu, central Seoul. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)

By Lee Jung-joo(lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com)