[Exclusive] Gondola Along the Han River, SH Corporation Steps In... Considering Yeouido and Yongsan Areas

New System Connecting Gangnam and Gangbuk for 7 Waterside Activity Zones Including Ttukseom and Jamsil... Seoul City Takes Cautious Approach

Seoul Metropolitan Government-affiliated Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation(SH Corporation) has begun reviewing potential sites for the introduction of gondolas along the Han River. The seven waterfront activity zones under consideration include the previously known candidate sites of Ttukseom, Jamsil, and Seoul Forest, as well as areas around Yongsan and Hannam. As a measure to revitalize tourism along the Han River, detailed commercialization plans will be established for two of these locations.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Council on the 14th, SH Corporation recently started reviewing routes for the introduction of gondolas along the Han River targeting seven waterfront activity zones: Nanjicheon area, Dangsan area, Yongsan area, Hannam area, Seongsu area, Jayang area, and Gwangjang area.

An example of the Han River gondola currently under discussion by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]

Last year, Seoul announced plans to install gondolas at major hubs and tourist attractions requiring public transportation connections between Gangnam and Gangbuk as part of the 'Great Han River Project,' the second version of the Han River Renaissance Project 2.0. The core idea was to diversify transportation modes connecting the city and the Han River across land, water, and air, with Jamsil and Ttukseom mentioned as candidate sites for the gondola project at that time.

The current review by SH Corporation is also linked to the 'Great Han River Project' to expand killer content that allows visitors to enjoy key scenic views along the Han River. The goal is to analyze the business environment and development conditions for introducing gondolas along the Han River and finalize the optimal project sites and routes.

The target sites include seven waterfront activity zones along the Han River. Besides Jayang and Seongsu areas, which include Jamsil and Ttukseom, the list also covers Yeouido and Yongsan, Hapjeong and Dangsan, Banpo and Hannam, and Amsa areas. This selection aims to provide citizens with new public transportation connecting major hubs in Gangnam and Gangbuk and to utilize these as tourist attractions. Previously, Seoul analyzed that installing gondolas along the Han River would enable large-scale passenger transport and significantly reduce travel distances.

During the review process, the impact on aboveground and underground facilities in the area, as well as on Han River bridges, will be assessed. Besides geographic characteristics for route confirmation, the review will also consider the impact of mid- to long-term Han River development projects currently being promoted or discussed by Seoul City, as well as the three-dimensional expansion projects of Olympic-daero and Gangbyeonbuk-ro. Two pilot project sites will be selected during this process. Detailed commercialization plans will be established, carefully examining the project method, stakeholders, total project cost, and funding plans.

This is partly influenced by a recent ordinance amendment adding 'construction and operation/management projects related to Han River water and waterfront development' to the projects undertaken by SH Corporation. SH Corporation is preparing for a preliminary feasibility study to participate in the River Bus and Sangam-dong Ferris wheel projects, and it is also reportedly considering participation in other projects such as the Han River water tourism hotel besides the gondola.

However, Seoul City stated that this is an SH Corporation-led initiative and remains at the review stage at the city level. They added that they are currently awaiting business proposals from the private sector and need to consider various matters including SH Corporation’s review results in the future.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited London, UK last year and inspected the operation status of the 'IFS Cloud Cable Car' located near North Greenwich.
[Photo by Seoul City]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has also shown a cautious stance. During his visit to London, UK, last year, he emphasized the importance of careful route selection following his visit to London’s 'IFS Cloud Cable Car.' At that time, Mayor Oh said, "I think it is necessary to consider economic feasibility and practicality," adding, "There can be significant differences in economic viability depending on where it is installed, so I think we need to study the routes a bit more," withholding further comments.