[Yeouido Renaissance] In 2026, Take a Ferry to Jeju from Seoul Instead of Incheon Port

Parking a car in front of Yeouido Park and boarding a ship heading to Jeju Island, one enters Seoul Port. Until now, to take a ship from Seoul to Jeju Island, one had to go to Incheon Port, but now it will be possible to travel to Jeju Island using Seoul Port located in Yeouido.

Seoul Port Relaunched After 10 Years... West Sea Waterway Project Also Underway

In November last year, Seoul City announced the promotion of the "West Sea Waterway to the World" project, which allows foreign tourists arriving at Incheon Port by cruise to board sightseeing boats connecting the Ara Waterway and the Han River, arriving at Yeouido Seoul Port for tourism or departing abroad in the opposite direction.

The main goal is to develop Yeouido Seoul Port, designated as a local administrative trade port in 2010, by 2026 to enhance the utilization of the West Sea Waterway connecting the Han River, the West Sea, and Northeast Asia. To this end, starting this year, regular sightseeing boat operations between the Han River and the Gyeongin Ara Waterway will begin, followed by the establishment of a basic plan and feasibility studies, aiming to complete the development of "Seoul Port" by 2026.

For regular operations between the Han River and the Gyeongin Ara Waterway, a new pier will also be constructed. Once the Yeouido pier, currently 65 meters, is expanded to 95 meters, it will be possible to dock passenger ships of up to 1,000 tons on the Han River starting in 2024. After completing the new pier, the city plans to operate passenger ships more than 150 times annually on the route between Yeouido Pier, Ara Gimpo Passenger Terminal, and Ara Incheon Passenger Terminal from February to March next year. Once passenger ship operations are in full swing, tourists will be able to board boats in the morning to enjoy sightseeing on the water, including Han River cruises and onboard performances, and in the afternoon, they can tour nearby areas by tourist buses or bicycles brought on board.

Furthermore, upon completion of Seoul Port in the first half of 2026, 5,000-ton cruise ships departing from the West Sea will be able to dock on the Han River, allowing tourists to visit famous Seoul landmarks. Cruises will also be possible from the Han River to Gunsan Port, Mokpo Port, and finally Jeju Port. The newly built Seoul Port international passenger terminal, to be completed by 2026, will initially serve domestic routes such as Yeosu and Jeju Island, and later expand its functions to an international port connecting Northeast Asia, including China, by introducing CIQ (Customs inspection, Immigration control, and Quarantine) facilities according to overseas tourism demand. Once Seoul Port is completed, the expanded Yeouido pier will be repurposed for domestic use or relocated to other areas along the Han River that require piers.

Private capital will also be involved. The city plans to transform Seoul Port into a complex cultural tourism destination by linking it with the Yeouido International Financial District, creating international conference halls, floating hotels, sunset observatories, duty-free shops, and bonded warehouses. A Seoul city official stated, "Seoul Port will be developed not only as a port facility but also as a space that generates added value through tourism and international conferences," adding, "We will refer to the example of the Thames River in the UK to create a port that contributes to employment and regional income generation."

Maximizing Economic Impact Through Cruise Tourism and Complex Development

The Thames River, which Seoul City uses as a reference case, is a representative tourist attraction in the UK. From Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge, another nighttime landmark in London located downstream of the Thames, tourists continuously visit. Cruise tourism in the UK Thames River, as well as in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Budapest in Hungary, is well recognized by the public, and nearby accommodation facilities are well developed, creating significant economic ripple effects from water leisure to dining and lodging industries. Seoul City is focusing on this aspect and appears to be considering complex development rather than just the function of a simple port.

The economic impact of cruise tourism is indeed substantial. In 2016, the economic effect of domestic cruise tourist arrivals reached 5.5 trillion KRW. Local consumer spending alone amounted to 2.0465 trillion KRW, including tourism shopping (2.0165 trillion KRW), port income (19.7 billion KRW), and ship supplies exports (10.3 billion KRW). The production inducement effect was estimated at 3.4465 trillion KRW, and the employment inducement effect at 24,763 jobs. This is why the World Tourism Organization (WTO) regards cruises, or "hotels on the sea," as the best tourism product of the 21st century. It is also known that Seoul City internally estimated the economic inducement effect of developing Seoul Port.

Additionally, once the terminal is established, it will provide another transportation option for residents outside the metropolitan area to enter Seoul. The increase in floating population due to transportation demand is expected to cause land and building prices in the surrounding areas to soar.