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ⓒ Jungi Nam

Primeval forests, preserved for 500 years since the

Chosun Dynasty, are now being threatened for only 3

days of skiing at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

500 Years vs 3 Days

Ⓒ

Gariwang Mountain has the highest classification for

environmental preservation according to the Ministry of

Environment.

Primordial forests practically untouched by human hands.

Ⓒ

The Office of Forestry designated Mt. Gariwang as a “Forest

Genetic Resource Reserve” due to its rare species.

Development of this area is strictly prohibited for both private

and governmental projects.

In June of 2013, the Office of Forestry

announced its decision to make 78 hectares of

this preservation area open to development for

the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

60,000 VS 181

58,000 trees will be cut down to

create ski slopes, according to

the environmental assessment.

Only181 trees will be planted as

part of the Gangwon

governments plan to “restore”

the local environment after the

Olympics.

ⓒYounghoon Park

Currently, 65 trees have been identified in the environmental assessment report

as “giant” and/or “ancient”.

A 2-year investigation by Good Friends of Nature Korea, an environmental

NGO, found 188 pine trees, Betulas, and Mongolian oaks with a diameter of

more than 50 cm.

Ⓒ

Vs plants in IUCN Red list inhabit at the mountain: Critically Endangered Species(CR); Allium microdictyon, Endangered Species(EN);Oplopanax elatus, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Vulnerable Species(VU) Thuja koraiensis, Leontice microrhyncha, Bupleurum falcatum, Paeonia japonica, Clintonia udensis, Codonopsis pilosula, Taxus cuspidata, Iris odaesanensis, Least Concerned Species(LC)Streptopus ovalis, Syringa wolfii, Rodgersia podophylla, Lysimachia coreana, Syringa patula, Viola diamantiaca, Lilium distichum , Celtis choseniana

And the most of IUCN Red list species in Mt. Gariwangsan related endemic species of Korea.

Rules of FIS-SKI vs Rules of FIS-SKI

Choi Moon Soon, Governor of Gangwon Province, wrote on his blog on

September 22, 2014: “I am aware that many people are worried by the

construction of the downhill ski slope at Mt. Gariwang for the 2018

Pyongchang Winter Olympics. I understand and empathize thoroughly.

I am also concerned, but there is no alternative.”

ICR provision 7.6.2 from the FIS Rules

706.2.1 Downhill in Two Runs

If the topography of a country does not permit a Downhill

with the required vertical drop as stated in the ICR, a

Downhill in two runs can be organised.

701.1.1 Men's Courses For Olympic Winter Games, FIS

World Ski Championships and FIS World Cups: 800 m

(in exceptional cases 750 m) – 1100 m

These two provisions clearly show that Mt. Gariwang is

not the only way to satisfy the requirements of the FIS.

The 2 RUN provision can be applied or the 50 m

structural supplement can be applied to an already

existing ski ground in Gangwon Province with a vertical

drop of 700 m.

ⓒYounghoon Park

On August 22nd, environmental activists reported illegal

deforestation sites on Mt. Gariwang. The deforestation was

stopped at that point, but legal deforestation is imminent.

In 1998, Nagano, Japan negotiated with IOC on

stadiums for environmental problems, until leaving one

year for Winter Olympics.

As a result, competitions were held using structural

supplements on existing ski facilities.

ⓒ김보은

Germany refused to host the Winter Olympics due to local

opposition; “Nolympia” opposed the Winter Olympics over

concerns about the long term consequences that the

Games would create in the local economy.

There are four years left until the

Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

Let's save Gariwang Mountain together! Let's stand up for the forest! Publisher: Green Korea United

Contact: In-Chul Hwang

Tel: +82-70-7438-8523

Email: hic7478@greenkorea.org