The Wider Image: Ahead of South Korea's Olympics, a ski resort decays
The chairs of an abandoned ski lift sit on a barren, ghostly mountainside in South Korea; like gravestones for what was one a vibrant holiday resort. As the country prepares to host the 2018 Winter Olympics in a raft of new sporting venues, the abandoned Alps Ski Resort, only around 100 kilometres (60 miles) away, stands in grim contrast, as the future of South Korea's new facilities remains uncertain. Located close to the border with North Korea, the resort had been used for skiing since the period of Japan's colonial rule in the early 20th century and was South Korea's oldest when it closed its doors in 2006. Its decline was caused by a drop in the number of people taking part in skiing, a phenomenon that has continued since the resort's closure. Whether local or national government will bear the cost of maintaining the 14 venues for the Pyeongchang Olympics after the games finish, is a matter of some debate. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji SEARCH "KOREA ALPS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY. Matching text: OLYMPICS-2018/LEGACY