Unique Culture and Relaxation with Flea Market, Street Performances, Food Trucks, and Outdoor Cinema While Strolling on Car-Free Jamsugyo Bridge
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The 'Jamsugyo Bridge,' which is the closest point to the Han River, will become a pedestrian-only bridge every Sunday this fall, with cars disappearing and only people walking. The car-free Jamsugyo Bridge will be filled with live performances, flea markets, food trucks, and outdoor cinemas. From the end of summer to deep autumn, visitors can enjoy a unique cultural and relaxing experience while strolling along the Jamsugyo Bridge, imbued with the season's atmosphere.
On the 17th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that from September 28 to October 30, every Sunday, it will hold the '2022 Car-Free Jamsugyo Ttubok Ttubok Festival' with these contents. This festival is the first step to fully returning the Jamsugyo Bridge to the citizens. Seoul plans to provide citizens with the opportunity to safely cross the Han River via the pedestrian bridge and explore the potential of Han River bridges as new tourist resources in Seoul where culture and relaxation coexist.
The Han River Jamsugyo Bridge (completed in 1976) is located on the lower level of the country's first two-story bridge, Banpodaegyo Bridge (connecting Seobinggo-dong, Yongsan-gu to Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu), serving as a major passage connecting Gangnam and Gangbuk in Seoul. It is directly connected to Banpo Hangang Park, a popular spot for citizens and tourists, and is the shortest Han River bridge section in Seoul (length 765m, width 18m), making it a favorite for pedestrians and cyclists.
The festival is designed to allow visitors to safely and freely walk on the car-free Jamsugyo Bridge while enjoying various programs such as ?flea markets ?street performances ?food trucks ?outdoor cinemas ?photo zones. At the flea market, with 70 teams including small business owners participating, visitors can find unexpected treasures, and various live performances such as music and magic throughout the bridge delight the eyes and ears. Food truck meals enjoyed while overlooking the Han River are the highlight of the festival. Additionally, visitors can enjoy outdoor cinemas, photo zones, and experience zones in various ways.
Seoul plans to implement traffic measures to minimize citizen inconvenience caused by vehicle restrictions on Jamsugyo Bridge during the festival period. The roundabout at the southern end of Jamsugyo will operate normally to maintain access routes to Olympic-daero and Sebitseom, and buses passing through Jamsugyo (routes 405 and 740) will temporarily detour via Banpodaegyo Bridge.
Meanwhile, Seoul plans to monitor citizen responses to the Han River pedestrian bridge through this festival and, after carefully reviewing traffic measures, consider long-term plans to utilize 'Jamsugyo Bridge' as a pedestrian-only bridge.
Yoon Jong-jang, head of the Han River Project Headquarters at Seoul City, said, “This meaningful festival will transform the Han River Jamsugyo Bridge, a symbolic space that protects citizens' safety and is the most frequented by pedestrians and cyclists, into a space fully enjoyed by citizens.” He added, “From the end of this month through every Sunday this fall, we hope families, friends, and couples will visit the festival unfolding alongside the beautiful scenery of the Han River and fully enjoy the charm of Seoul.”
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