Mount Gwanak's surge in popularity takes its toll

“Mount Gwanak, riding a wave of surging popularity, is struggling with growing problems of littering, vandalism and safety as visitor numbers continue to climb. On Monday, photos of a puddle fouled with what appeared to be instant noodle broth and other waste went viral, drawing sharp criticism. Local authorities managing Mount Gwanak moved quickly to respond. After the site was suspected of falling within its mandate, Southwestern Seoul's Geumcheon District said Monday it had confirmed that the puddle was located outside its jurisdiction. That same day, Gyeonggi Province's Gwacheon dispatched crews to clean the puddle. As the mountain is not a national park, it is jointly managed by multiple local authorities, including Seoul's Gwanak and Geumcheon districts and the Gyeonggi Province cities of Anyang and Gwacheon. Improper disposal of waste is not the only concern. Last month, graffiti spray-painted on rocks near a hiking trail prompted Gwanak District to carry out restoration work. The incidents follow a surge in visitors to Mount Gwanak, driven in part by a well-known fortune teller who

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