[Hangang Bridge SOS] Raising Railings and Adding Wire Fences to Prevent Jumping

②Insufficient to Prevent Jumping from Hangang Bridge
Canada and Australia Surround Bridges with Fences

Last year, over 1,000 extreme attempts occurred on bridges over the Han River, raising calls to strengthen measures to prevent jumping. Currently, Seoul City is increasing the installation of safety railings, but suicide attempts continue to rise. Experts advise that various methods should be devised without damaging the city’s aesthetics.

On the afternoon of the 31st of last month, a 2.5-meter-high safety railing was installed on Mapo Bridge in Seoul. The railing was designed to make it difficult for people to climb over, with the upper part made of wire to avoid obstructing the view.

If the wires are spaced more than 10 cm apart, sensors activate and the 119 rescue team is dispatched. This has raised the rescue rate to nearly 100%, but it still falls short of preventing the act of jumping itself. There are places on Mapo Bridge where one can step on curbs or structures to climb up, and the gaps between the wires are large enough for an adult male’s head to fit through.

The 'Seoul Fire Department 119' tape is attached to Mapo Bridge in Seoul.
[Photo by Im Chunhan]

This means that if someone is determined to make an extreme choice anywhere, they can jump. In fact, two locations had yellow “Seoul Fire 119” tapes attached, indicating recent jumping incidents.

According to Seoul City, safety railings exist on four bridges: Mapo Bridge, Hangang Bridge, Jamsil Bridge, and Yanghwa Bridge. Installation on Hannam Bridge will be completed in March this year. Installation is being considered for Wonhyo Bridge and Seogang Bridge in 2025, and Gwangjin Bridge in 2027.

A Seoul City official said, “We installed safety railings after comprehensive review and consultation considering the Han River’s aesthetics and cost issues,” adding, “Based on monitoring results from five bridges, we plan to promote phased installation of safety railings in the future.”

CCTV cameras have been installed on 14 out of 20 bridges. Gayang Bridge, Yanghwa Bridge, Seogang Bridge, Mapo Bridge, Wonhyo Bridge, Hangang Bridge, Dongjak Bridge, Hannam Bridge, Dongho Bridge, Yeongdong Bridge, Jamsil Bridge, Gwangjin Bridge, and Cheonho Bridge have CCTV cameras spaced every 80 to 110 meters.

The six bridges without CCTV are Haengju Bridge, World Cup Bridge, Seongsan Bridge, Seongsu Bridge, Olympic Bridge, and Guri-Amsa Bridge. A Seoul Fire Disaster Headquarters official explained, “Seongsan Bridge is currently undergoing deck construction, so the installation timing is undecided,” and “CCTV installation on the remaining five bridges is planned within this year.”

A suicide prevention net is installed under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Advanced countries are also applying physical solutions to prevent jumping from bridges. San Francisco in the United States spent a total of $217 million to install suicide prevention nets on the Golden Gate Bridge. The nets are made of stainless steel, measuring 2.7 km in length and 6.1 meters in width.

As extreme choices continued on the Golden Gate Bridge, the need for jump prevention facilities arose, and authorities established a safety net installation plan. Initially, there was an opinion to raise the railing on the bridge, but considering the scenery, it was decided to install wire mesh under the bridge.

New Zealand removed wire mesh from bridges, but after suicide rates soared, they redesigned and reinstalled it. Canada and Australia chose to surround bridges with wire fences, completely sacrificing aesthetics.

Experts emphasize the need to find a compromise between suicide prevention and urban aesthetics. Professor Lee Young-joo of the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at University of Seoul said, “Making it physically difficult to jump is a simple and effective method,” adding, “Not only the height of the railing but also designing structures that prevent footing and climbing can solve the problem without damaging the city’s aesthetics.”

Professor Lee continued, “Installing nets is the same approach as installing railings and should be done considering the shape of the bridge,” and added, “Simply preventing suicides on bridges does not reduce the suicide rate, so physical approaches should be combined with other perspectives on suicide prevention.”

Professor Gong Ha-sung of the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Woosuk University said, “The railing height should be increased without damaging urban aesthetics and made impossible to climb,” and “CCTV should be installed as much as possible to make people aware they are always being watched, and many psychologically comforting messages should be posted.”

※If you have difficult feelings such as depression or know family or acquaintances experiencing such difficulties, you can receive 24-hour expert counseling by calling the suicide prevention hotline ☎109.