Paragliding accident strikes Danyang days before international competition

A paragliding accident in Danyang, North Chungcheong Province, has renewed calls for urgent safety measures at a site widely regarded as the country's premier paragliding destination.

According to Danyang-gun, a paraglider carrying a recreational flyer in his 40s, identified only as A, crashed into bushes roughly 2 meters below the launch pad at the Dusan paragliding site in Gagok-myeon at around 9:50 a.m. Saturday while attempting to take off.

A suffered serious injuries to the neck and other parts of the body and was taken to a hospital.

The accident occurred just two days before an international competition. An international paragliding competition runs Monday through Sunday at the Dusan and Yangbangsan launch sites in Danyang. About 200 athletes from 20 countries are expected to take part.

County officials said the accident involving a recreational flyer has no bearing on the professional competition. Still, concerns over safety are mounting as accidents continue to recur in Danyang — even as the area prepares to host a large-scale international event.

Paragliding accidents in Danyang have been a recurring problem year after year.

Last October, a recreational flyer in his 50s and a pilot crashed into a hillside and were injured. In March 2024, a paraglider flying over the Gagok-myeon area plunged from 20 to 30 meters in strong winds, killing the pilot and seriously injuring a recreational passenger in his 30s.

In August 2019, a pilot and a passenger were caught on a 22,000-volt high-voltage power line about 10 meters off the ground after encountering turbulence, requiring rescue.

According to the North Chungcheong Province fire department, 30 paragliding accidents were recorded in Danyang over the three years from 2023 to 2025.

The actual number of incidents is believed to be higher, as cases in which operators handled rescues on their own and transported the injured to hospitals without notifying authorities are not included in that count.

Despite the repeated accidents, safety oversight remains inadequate.

Danyang-gun says it has no direct authority to regulate the operation of launch sites or recreational paragliding flights. The Seoul Regional Aviation Administration conducts only one routine inspection per year.

"We do not have direct enforcement authority over launch sites or recreational flights, but we are conducting thorough checks in areas where we can," a county official said. "We will work closely with relevant agencies to ensure no safety incidents occur during the competition."