Daelim Opens New Chapter in
Construction of Ski Resort

Construction site chief earns reputation for seamless, accident-free construction of the top-class resort

Daelim Industrial Co., a Korean giant contractor, has set a milestone in its 67-year corporate history for successfully inaugurating High 1 Ski Resort, one of the nation's largest ski resorts.
Overcoming hardships, pointed by a renowned ski lift companies, Daelim has showed its technological prowess and construction capabilities in undertaking a wide range of facilities, including 18 ski slopes, a network of three gondolas and five lifts, simultaneously.
Behind the environment-friendly and seamless construction of the ski resort is a seasoned Kang Dong-hwa, chief of Daelim Industrial Co. High 1 Ski Resort Construction Site.
"The biggest challenge I have been facing with building the slopes, lifts and gondolas and other facilities in the hilly area with a 40- to 60-degree gradient by mobilizing an average of 1,700-odd workers and numerous equipment is to ensure workplace safety in the vast work site covering 1.5 million pyeong (4.95 million sq. meters),"he said in an interview with NewsWorld.
He has now earned a reputation for making the thorniest project a seamless, accident-free success.
Kang has been already credited with having carried out the first section of the Gwangan Grand Road Project without accident for two years in 2002. He was awarded with the coveted Order of Industrial Merit, Steel Tower for his contribution to industrial safety.
The High 1 Ski Resort Construction Site set a record high of 220 billion won in annual sales in Daelim's 67-year corporate history, surpassing the previous record of 100 billion won. The following are the excerpts of his interview.

Question: Would you tell our readers about the significance of opening High 1 Ski Resort?
Answer: Korea has expanded and created leisure facilities designed to meet a rising demand for such leisure activities as tours, vacations and sports, arising from improved living quality. In particular, skiing has emerged as one of the popular winter sports with a surge in the skiers, but most of the nation's ski resorts are suffering from a lack of lifts for carrying skiers, compared to the size of their slopes, with lifts for immediate- and advanced-level courses taking a lion's share.
The Mt. Baekun area covering 1.5 million pyeong (4.95 million sq. meters), once a coal mining field run by Dong Won Corp., has been transformed into one of world-class skiing resorts. Daelim Industrial Co., a Korean giant contractor with a 67-year history, has earned a reputation for the construction of the undisputed ski resort, which boasts of 18 slopes, measuring 21 km in total length, five sets of lifts - the ones for exclusive use of beginners's immediate and advanced courses -, three gondolas, T-bars and conveyor belts. Also included are a 403-room condo with international standards and a 360-degree rotating observatory located 1,350 meters above the sea level, that creates a perfect view of the breath-taking landscape.,
It is the first time in Asia that such a wide range of facilities have been developed simultaneously. I take a pride in the fact that High 1 Ski Resort has been upgraded to international standards to satisfy domestic ski manias'demands.
It is noteworthy that construction of the ski resort has been completed successfully by overcoming such hardships as difficulty in transporting manpower, equipment and materials to the high-land construction site, which were pointed initially by Austrian ski lift company Doppelmayer.
Q: Could you explain the major features and amenities of the ski resort?
A: High 1 Ski Resort's concept is nature-oriented and in use for families and groups. The resort was constructed with a focus on enhancing tougher safety standards, higher quality and economic efficiency and trust, compared to domestic and overseas ski resorts.
First, the ski resort has 18 slopes, measuring 21 km in a combined length. The longest one is 4.2 km long, with 660 meters in altitude difference and an average of 40 meters in width of the skiing area, the widest in Korea, an ideal place for avid skiers who are tired of the hustling-bustling ski resorts in the Seoul metropolitan area.
Second, the eight lifts and gondolas are designed to meet international standards on aerial passenger ropeway and safety. They are electronically automated to ensure a fixed speed of operation while Roadway Protection Detector is place to detect any separation of a gondola from the ropeway and order emergency stoppage.
Third, gondola towers with the largest size in Korea are manufactured and installed by Daelim Industrial Co. Skiers can take a gondola ride from High 1 Hotel ( 1,050 meter above the sea level) to Mountain Top (1,350 meters above the sea level) that has a commanding view of overlooking Mt. Hambaek and Paikdu Mountains. A three-gondola ropeway network has been built in the interests of skiers to link all places, including Valley Condo, Mountain Condo, Rotating Restaurant and High 1 Hotel.
Fourth, High 1 Ski has an advantage of having family and group members with different skiing skills play together at the same place.
Lastly, the nation's sole ski trains are operated to the ski resort, so skiers can be transported regardless of snow storms and traffic snarls.
The major amenities of the ski resort include 197-room High 1 Hotel, 123-room Valley Condo, 280-room Mountain Condo, Rotating Observatory and Restaurant, Mountain Ski House with open-air spa facilities and cafeterias, Valley Herb Cafe and Mountain Herb Ccafe offering different cuisines.
Q: Would you speak about environment-friendly construction of the ski resort for taking advantage of the natural features and beauty of the Taebaek Mountains?
A: The Saemangeum Reclamation Project and the Mt. Cheongseong Tunnel, part of the Daegu-Gyeongju High-Speed Railway, are a few representative cases of environmentalist vs. development proponent conflict in Korea. A 16-member environment consulting committee, inclusive of three NGO members, five academic and two regional representatives, were inaugurated to discuss such environmental issues as the protection of fauna and flora of the mountains.
A near-natural 5 km-odd stream system has been created in parallel with the main slope by laying a foundation with natural stones instead of concrete, as suggested by experts of the environment consulting committee. Responding to the observation of rare animals in the vicinity of the ski resort, ecological corridors were created with exits for the protection of wild animals, amphibians and reptiles, as proposed by the committee experts.
The thorniest problem facing the ski report project was how to afforest oblique sections covering 360,000 pyeong, whose trees were removed for making the slopes. Wild plants in the vicinity of the ski resort are planted in place of western lawn in consideration of the ecological perspective.
Q: Would you tell your construction career and working credos in the construction field?
A: A graduate of Busan National University Civil Engineering Department, I have been around in the construction field for 28 years since 1978 when I entered Daelim Industrial Co.
When I was assigned with the job with the High 1 Ski Construction Site last November, I recognized many problems surrounding workplace safety, construction costs and completion of construction on schedule due to highland construction even if two years had passed after it broke ground. At that time, I actually had six to seven months to work, except monsoon winter seasons, though the ski resort was scheduled to open in the early December this year.
The project failed to proceed smoothly due to a lack of sharing information and understanding among staff members since it was involved in such diverse fields as civil engineering, architecture, mechanical, equipment, communications and cableway. I had to convene a team chiefs'meeting every morning to discuss work coordination in a bid to prevent any interference by each construction field and ask for his head office to provide support. Up to 130 Daelim officials and 2,000 hands were mobilized each day to construct about 50 structures and ski slopes on a vast hillside land, 1.6 times as wide as Yeoidou in Seoul. We were able to make up for a short construction period and inaugurate High 1 Ski on schedule, wiping out earlier doubt that it was impossible to make it on time.
The biggest challenge I have been facing with building the slopes, lifts and gondolas and other facilities in the hilly area with a 40- to 60-degree gradient by mobilizing an average of 1,700-odd workers and numerous equipment is to ensure workplace safety in the vast work site covering 1.5 million pyeong (4.95 million sq. meters). In particular, safety inspection teams were manned to ensure safety in their own areas.
These concerted efforts have paid off. The High 1 Ski Construction Site set a record high of 220 billion won in annual sales in Daelim's 67-year corporate history, surpassing the previous record of 100 billion won.
I appreciate workers on the site who have toiled and moiled without summer vacations and traditional holidays and those who have prayed for workplace safety. nw

Kang Dong-hwa, chief of Daelim Industrial Co. High 1 Ski Resort Construction Site

An aerial view of High 1 Ski Resort, built by Daelim Industrial Co.