[Seoul's Future] Kang Byung-geun "Han River is Seoul... Now is the 100-Year Future Crossroad of Han River"

Interview with Kang Byung-geun, Seoul City Chief Architect

"The future of the Han River is the future of Seoul. We are currently at a crucial crossroads that will determine the next 100 years of the Han River."

Kang Byung-geun, Seoul’s Chief Architect, said, "The Han River is Seoul’s landmark and can be considered the backbone of the city." He emphasized, "Seoul has never had a long-term plan despite rapid growth. Now, we must create a master plan for what our city Seoul should look like 100 years from now."

The Chief Architect of Seoul is a private expert who oversees and coordinates the city’s urban architecture policies and spatial environment projects. These projects range from public buildings such as daycare centers and welfare facilities to amenities like parks, streets, and landscaping that directly affect citizens’ lives. Since its introduction by Seoul in September 2014?the first of its kind in Korea?the role has expanded to 12 metropolitan governments and over 30 local governments nationwide. Kang was appointed as one of the four Chief Architects in April 2021.

Kang’s views align with Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s upcoming announcement of ‘Han River Renaissance 2.0.’ Until now, Seoul has never created a comprehensive master plan. The city has only had basic urban plans updated every 10 years at best. The goal is to fundamentally overcome these inherited limitations.

He stressed that the most important aspect of this process is a new vision for the ‘future of the Han River.’ Recently, Mayor Oh announced plans to build observation decks at 15 waterfront locations along the Han River in Seoul where visitors can enjoy sunsets. A prime example is Nodeul Island. Last month, through the ‘Urban and Architectural Design Innovation Plan,’ the city unveiled plans to add a 360-degree sunset observation deck, pedestrian bridges, and a floating art stage on Nodeul Island. Seoul is currently holding a design competition for Nodeul Island, inviting renowned architects from Korea and abroad. Participants include J?rgen Mayer from Germany, who designed the Metropol Parasol; Thomas Heatherwick from the UK, known for New York’s Vessel and Google’s Bay View Campus in Silicon Valley.

Kang Byung-geun, Chief Architect of Seoul, is explaining about Seoul's waterways and forest paths at the Chief Architect's Office in Seoul City Hall on the 27th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Kang emphasized that Seoul has been blessed with one of the world’s most exceptional natural environments through the Han River, giving it great potential to grow into a global tourist destination. He introduced his belief that drawing and implementing a blueprint that maximizes the city’s strengths will make Seoul the most competitive city worldwide. To achieve this, the Han River must become a central axis encompassing tourism, culture, economy, and leisure in Seoul. We met Kang at the Chief Architect’s office in Seoul City Hall on the 27th of last month. Below is an interview with Chief Architect Kang.

The Han River Has Greater Potential Than Rivers in Any Other Country

- What makes the Han River different from other rivers?

▲ Most major cities on Earth are located near large rivers. However, there is a fundamental difference between the Han River and rivers in other major cities. The Han River is the only capital city river in the world that flows in a unique form. It should not be simply regarded as ‘Seoul’s landmark’ or ‘a river with abundant water.’ Because it is special, the Han River has the potential not only as a tourist attraction but also to encompass Seoul’s economy, society, and culture.

We must not forget that the Han River has its sources within the city itself. Seoul is surrounded by four inner mountains (Naesasan) inside the old Hanyang Fortress and four outer mountains (Oesasang) outside. Streams flow from these eight mountains into the Han River. Such a city is rare worldwide. Most rivers in other major cities simply pass through the city. But Seoul has mountains within the city, and streams flow from these mountains into the Han River. This organic connection between the city and the river makes the Han River even more special.

- Is the influence of these tributaries really that important?

▲ Cities like Paris, Beijing, and Tokyo are mostly built on flat plains with few mountains. Without mountains, there are naturally no tributaries. Without tributaries, the main river rarely has a direct connection with the city. If you view a city as a living organism, the river and city are separated and do not breathe together easily. The Han River flows 42 km within Seoul’s boundaries. However, when counting all tributaries and streams connected to the Han River within Seoul, the total length reaches 332 km. Subtracting the 42 km of the main river, tributaries and streams total 290 km?about seven times longer than the main river and nearly the straight-line distance between Seoul and Daegu.

Kang Byung-geun, Chief Architect of Seoul City, is being interviewed on the 27th at the Chief Architect's Office in Seoul City Hall. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Moreover, the tributaries and streams of the Han River flow through and connect all 25 districts of Seoul. Simply put, if the Han River is the city’s main artery, the tributaries and streams are its veins. Every part of Seoul is connected by these tributaries and streams, which all converge into the Han River. Rivers with sources inside the city are rare worldwide, which makes the Han River special. This is also why the Han River can serve as the central axis for Seoul’s tourism, opening up tourist routes through its tributaries and streams.

- Does this uniqueness enhance the Han River’s appeal as a tourist destination?

▲ The Han River is special for the reasons mentioned, but it also has competitive advantages compared to rivers worldwide. No one can deny that the Han River is Seoul’s landmark. When foreigners hear ‘Seoul,’ they often think of the Han River. In terms of water volume and length, it is overwhelmingly large compared to rivers anywhere else in the world. Its vastness is sometimes cited as a challenge for development. Additionally, the water quality of the Han River is incomparable to other cities, supporting a rare natural ecosystem.

Even without the Han River, Seoul has strong competitiveness. Which capital city in the world lives with a national park (Bukhansan National Park) in view and can access it by city bus? The same goes for the Han River. No other capital city offers such easy access to both river and mountain nature. Seoul already has great tourism appeal due to this unique natural environment, and the key will be how we develop it moving forward.

The Han River Is the Heart of Seoul... Its Role Must Be Revitalized

- What does the Han River mean to Seoul?

▲ Where are all living things born? In water. The Han River is a space that breathes life into Seoul. We should not see the Han River simply as a place where water gathers but as a cradle of life. This is not just a biological perspective. Humans have lived along waterways, moved along them, and shared economy and culture through them. In other words, the city of Seoul gains its vitality through the Han River. If we see the city as a living organism, Seoul was born from the Han River. While we vaguely call the Han River Seoul’s landmark, it is accurate to say that without the Han River, Seoul as we know it would not exist.

- In that sense, is the Han River currently fulfilling its role?

▲ (Holding a map of Seoul emphasizing forests and tributaries) As you can see from this map, Seoul was originally a city connected through tributaries and forest paths around them. Life was organically linked through these streams and forest trails. However, as Seoul grew rapidly, it expanded chaotically, ignoring tributaries and forest paths. The area inside the old Seoul Fortress (Sadaemun) still retains a well-connected urban plan with tributaries and forest paths. This is why the basic structure of the Hanyang Fortress built 630 years ago still forms the city’s core. But outside this area, chaotic expansion has caused ‘urban desertification.’ Development focused on expansion rather than consideration for waterways or forest paths. It is time to overcome this and rethink the Han River for future generations.

Kang Byung-geun, Chief Architect of Seoul, is explaining about Seoul's waterways and forest paths at the Chief Architect's Office in Seoul City Hall on the 27th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

- How should the master plan be developed?

▲ We need to return to fundamentals. We must find the waterways and forest paths and make them the blueprint’s foundation, fundamentally reconsidering urban density. We should connect people through waterways and forest paths and redefine living patterns, including density, housing, and transportation, centered on these lines. Ultimately, it is time to consider what kind of city Seoul should be 100 years from now, with the Han River at its core.

Seoul is making various efforts toward this. One is the Seoul Urban Architecture Biennale. This year’s theme is ‘City of Land, Architecture of Land,’ with the subtitle ‘Drawing Seoul’s 100 Years Later: City of Mountain Paths, Waterways, and Wind Paths.’ Through this biennale, Seoul plans to solicit diverse ideas from global experts, universities, and artists. Many international proposals about Seoul’s future have already been received. Based on these, Seoul will prepare a master plan for how our city should transform 100 years from now.

Move Beyond Short-Term Views, Create a Master Plan Looking 100 Years Ahead

- How should Han River development proceed?

▲ We have never created a master plan looking 100 years ahead. The longest-term plan so far has been the Seoul Basic Urban Plan, updated every 10 years. However, this basic plan is not a master plan but a district-level plan, which has limitations. Planning in fragmented pieces has led to patchwork urban development without harmony with surroundings. Revisiting the Han River’s waterways and forest paths means returning to basics and envisioning Seoul’s future from a broader perspective.

A city is like a living organism. But we have overlooked its fundamentals. For example, a person has a right and left arm; using only one arm to carry heavy objects is limiting, so using both hands is natural. Ignoring this can cause imbalance or injury. The same applies to a city. We need to restore balance across Seoul, including the Han River.

Kang Byung-geun, Chief Architect of Seoul City, is being interviewed on the 27th at the Chief Architect's Office in Seoul City Hall. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

The Han River is unique, but there are no waterfront areas where people can dip their hands and feet or bathe in the river. Tributaries and small streams are also hard to find. Citizens can only look at the Han River, which lowers their connection to it. Earlier this year, Seoul announced plans to create seven ‘Nolbit Plazas’ by the end of the year at seven confluences of the Han River and tributaries, featuring grassy lawns, observation decks, and convenience facilities for citizens to enjoy. These initiatives aim to strengthen the bond between citizens and the Han River.

Until now, the Han River was viewed mainly as a managed river to prevent flooding, resembling an artificial waterway with little naturalness. The Han River’s surrounding area alone accounts for one-tenth of Seoul. Yet, we have not fully utilized even the main river. After the restoration of Cheonggyecheon, which had been covered due to reckless development, it has become the city’s center. Similarly, waterfront spaces should be integrated as central urban spaces. Developing the city around water systems can enable balanced development from neighborhoods to the city scale.

Who is Kang Byung-geun, Seoul’s Chief Architect? Kang has been a ‘Seoul architecture expert’ involved in Seoul’s urban planning for over 20 years. He served as a professor at Konkuk University’s College of Architecture and is currently an emeritus professor there. He participated in comprehensive plans for cultural facilities such as Hallyeohaesang Park’s Oedo Island, Jeju Eco Land, and Gapyeong’s French Cultural Village. While renowned as a ‘Seoul architecture expert,’ he is also one of Korea’s leading ‘disability architecture experts.’ He studied disability architecture at the Berlin Institute of Technology. Representative projects include pilot installations of subway screen doors to prevent falls by visually impaired people and pedestrian crossing time indicators for vulnerable pedestrians.