[Seoul's Future] Scary Han River Bridges for Walking, Let's Add Stories

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"It was scary to walk across the Han River bridges." When asked about his experience walking across the Han River bridges, British citizen Richard Irvine (33) said this as his first remark. "Cars were speeding by, so I just wanted to cross as quickly as possible," he added.

Richard, a programmer working in London's IT industry, moved to Cornwall, where his parents live, after the full remote work system was implemented due to the spread of COVID-19. In London, he used to commute daily by walking across Tower Bridge. As a young man interested in Korea and Korean culture, he married a Korean woman and lived in Yaksu-dong, Seoul, for about a year. Every two years, he visits Korea, traveling between Gwangju, where his in-laws live, and Seoul, exploring Korea for about a month before returning to Cornwall.

Richard, who enjoys walking, said he has walked across Dongho Bridge, Yanghwa Bridge, and the submerged bridge (Banpo Bridge). He has crossed the submerged bridge several times because it leads to a riverside park, but after crossing Dongho Bridge once, he never walked across it again. He occasionally visits Yanghwa Bridge to go to Seonyudo but does not walk across it; instead, he takes a bus and gets off halfway.

Richard Irwin, who lives in Cornwall, England. When asked for a photo taken at the Han River, he said he mostly takes photos himself and does not have any where he is the subject, so he sent photos taken while touring the provinces.
[Photo by Richard Irwin]

◇ "Likes Seonyudo, and the lively people seen at the submerged bridge" = When asked about the differences between the bridges over the Thames in London and the Han River in Seoul, Richard said, "The Han River is much larger and wider than the Thames, so the bridges are taller and longer," adding, "In London, walking on bridges is natural, but Seoul's Han River bridges feel like just roads with small pedestrian paths attached."

Regarding the scenery of the Han River, he said, "I really liked Seonyudo." "There is a small island in the middle of the river with many plants and a beautifully landscaped park," he said, adding, "It was great that various cultural events were held in the park." He also mentioned that the people were kind and lively, which left a strong impression. "When crossing the submerged bridge, many people were exercising and having picnics by the riverside, ordering food. The variety of activities looked very vibrant," he added.

The 33rd bridge over the Han River, World Cup Bridge. The shape and size of the bridge overwhelm people. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

The evaluation of the Han River, Seoul's gateway and face, by foreigners is harsh. Although the wide river and tall bridges initially overwhelm visitors, many tourists are disappointed because it is difficult to get close to and enjoy the Han River.

There are a total of 34 bridges over the Han River, including the under-construction Godeok Bridge (tentative name). Among them, 26 are road bridges, 4 are combined road-rail bridges, and 4 are railway bridges; there is not a single pedestrian-only bridge. The first bridge built over the Han River was the Han River Railroad Bridge, completed in 1900, connecting Gyeongseong Station and Noryangjin by rail. Although more than thirty bridges have been constructed for transportation, Seoul's history and culture have disappeared, and the bridges exist only as 'concrete and steel structures' for transportation.

◇ Seine and Thames, world-famous bridges and architectural landmarks = Paris's Seine River has over 30 bridges, including Pont Neuf, Pont d'I?na, Pont des Arts, and Pont Marie. Pont Neuf, famous from the movie "Lovers on the Bridge," was completed in 1604 and is 419 years old, making it a must-visit spot for tourists in Paris. Notably, famous buildings line both sides of the Seine, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle, the Louvre Museum, the Orsay Museum, and the Eiffel Tower.

Tower Bridge in London.
Photo by Asia Economy DB

London's Thames River has 75 bridges. The most outstanding is Tower Bridge, completed in 1894. Designed in Gothic style as a bascule bridge, Tower Bridge allows cars to pass but occasionally lifts to let large ships through, attracting tourists who watch and take photos. Along with the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, it is a landmark of London and a famous European attraction. The Millennium Bridge, a pedestrian bridge connecting Tate Modern and St. Paul's Cathedral, was completed in 2000 and has long been a pilgrimage site for tourists.

Historians and tourism experts lament the failure of storytelling related to the Han River and its bridges. According to "Seoul Story," written by Yang Hee-kyung, Shim Seung-hee, Lee Hyun-gun, and Han Ji-eun, the Hanyang Fortress was located north of the Han River, so crossing the Han River was necessary to connect to the southern regions.

Before modern bridges were built over the Han River, ferry crossings connected the north and south banks. Yanghwa Ferry connected to Incheon and Ganghwa, Seogang Ferry passed through Yeongdeungpo to Incheon, and crossing from Mapo Ferry to Noryangjin led to Siheung, while crossing Dongjakjin led to Gwacheon. Seobinggojin, Hangangjin, Samjeondo, and Gwangjin were major transportation points. The Han River Railroad Bridge, completed in 1900, was the first to connect the north and south banks by rail, and the Han River Pedestrian Bridge, completed in 1917, allowed people to walk across. This bridge is the current Hangang Bridge.

People crossing from Mapo Naru to Yeouido sandbank by boat. A photo postcard capturing the scene of crossing the Han River by boat at Mapo Naru along the Han River. At that time, the Mapo area belonged to Yongsan-myeon (龍山面) administratively, so it is believed that the postcard is labeled "Yongsan Han River." The boat arrived at the southern point of Mapo Naru, the Yeouido sandbank, and across the river, the area around Mapo port and the sloping terrain flowing down from Byeolyeongchang (別營倉) hill can be seen. On the boat are people wearing parasols, traditional hats such as satgat and galmo, along with a palanquin and two oxen. [Photo by Seoul Museum of History (Seoul History Archive)]

◇ The Han River and its bridges have lost their storytelling = Before modern bridges, temporary bridges were pontoon bridges, called jugyo (舟橋). Yongyangbongjeojeong near the Sangdo Tunnel south of Hangang Bridge was the royal palace in Noryangjin. For the king's safety, a pontoon bridge was installed over the Han River, and after crossing, the king rested briefly at Yongyangbongjeojeong. This route passed through Namdaemun from the palace, then Dongjak, Namtaeryeong, Gwacheon, Indeokwon, and Suwon Hwaseong. Noryangjin has long been a transportation hub, which is why the Han River Pedestrian Bridge was built there. During the Korean War, this bridge was blown up to block the North Korean army's advance south but was fully restored in 1954. Experts point out that such stories are almost absent from today's Han River and its bridges.

The Han River is much wider than the Seine in Paris, the Thames in London, or the Neva in Saint Petersburg, but it has less water volume. Therefore, dams are built upstream to artificially control the river's flow.

Hwang Pyung-woo, director of the Korean Cultural Heritage Policy Research Institute, said, "Because of this, the Han River no longer has sandy beaches as in the past, and we can only see the same Han River scenery throughout the seasons," adding, "Excessive development and road and bridge designs focused solely on cars have blocked the abundant storytelling potential of the Han River."

Hwang Pyeong-woo, Director of the Korean Cultural Heritage Policy Research Institute. / Photo by Jin-hyeong Kang aymsdream@

Especially problematic are the roads and apartment buildings lining both sides of the riverbank. "Gangbyeonbuk-ro and Olympic-daero block people's access, and the apartments obstruct the view of the Han River," said Hwang, diagnosing, "It is no different from granting the view only to apartment residents, and bridges designed for cars have become inhumane spaces where people cannot walk." He emphasized, "We need to restore the Han River and its bridges to be people-centered, not car-centered, with one-third of the road on Han River bridges secured as pedestrian paths and safety measures put in place."

Jo Seong-ho, director of Seoul City's Tourism Policy Division, said, "As there is steady demand from tourists who want to properly enjoy the Han River, we are making various efforts to improve accessibility to the Han River," adding, "We are considering several measures to allow tourists to fully utilize the Han River, such as converting the submerged bridge into a pedestrian bridge and developing Seoul Port to enable waterway access from Incheon to Seoul."