Soaring Han River Water Levels... Flooding Damage Repeated Across Seoul Including Hangang Parks

On the 3rd, when a heavy rain warning was issued for the central region, the walking paths at Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul were flooded due to the rising water level of the Hangang River. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Due to the continuous heavy rain concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area since the end of last month, flooding damage is occurring in various parts of Seoul. As the water level of the Han River rose, most of the Han River parks in Seoul were submerged, and even the Olympic-daero, a major artery of Seoul, was cut off.

According to Seoul city and police on the 3rd, from around 1:15 p.m. that day, both directions of the Olympic-daero from Yeomchang IC to Dongjak Bridge have been completely closed. A Seoul city official said, "Due to the continuous rainfall, the discharge from Paldang Dam increased to 13,033 tons per second, causing the Han River water level to rise," and urged detours.

The entry to the Dongbu Expressway, which has been closed since around 5:10 a.m. that day, remains closed. However, the section from Nokcheon Bridge toward Uijeongbu to Surak Underpass has been partially reopened.

The underground passage at Oetongbu in Jongno-gu, Seoul, was closed to entry from 9:10 a.m. that day but was reopened at 10:45 a.m.

The submerged road (Jamsu Bridge), which has been closed to vehicle entry since 5:20 p.m. the previous day, had a water level of 8.63 meters as of 2:10 p.m. that day. The Jamsu Bridge is completely submerged when the water level reaches 6.5 meters.

Due to this heavy rain, most of the Han River parks in Seoul, including Banpo Hangang Park which was flooded the previous day, are submerged and access is restricted. On that day, except for some highland areas upstream of Gwangnaru, Jamsil, and Ttukseom Hangang Parks, all were flooded and access was impossible.

Along the Han River at Ttukseom Amusement Park in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, the river overflowed, submerging the walking paths and bicycle lanes, and some park facilities were washed away by the water. Yeouido Hangang Park was also submerged to the extent that the boundary with the river was unrecognizable. A Seoul Hangang Project Headquarters official stated, "Before the full closure of Jamsu Bridge yesterday, the Han River water level had already risen, leading to partial closures mainly in the low-lying areas of the Hangang parks. Since this morning, with increased discharge from Paldang Dam, most Hangang parks except for some highland areas have been submerged, and the scope of closures has gradually expanded."