Building Hotels and Offices on the River... Oh Se-hoon: "We Will Open the Era of 10 Million Han River Water Users"

'Great Hangang' Follow-up 'Comprehensive Water Activity Activation Plan' Announced
"Making Hangang Waterways a Hub for Daily Life, Leisure, and Growth"
Urban Marina, Water Skiing, and Windsurfing Facilities Included
Project Cost 550.1 Billion KRW... Annual Economic Effect Expected at 925.6 Billion KRW

Seoul City is ushering in an era where 10 million people will use the Han River's water surface by 2030. The plan includes building hotels and offices on the water and creating marina complex facilities and food zones along the Han River banks to expand citizens' access to the river. The Riverbus, a flagship project of Mayor Oh Se-hoon, will also enhance the utilization of the Han River. Seoul City expects an economic effect of 920 billion KRW annually.

On the morning of the 24th, Mayor Oh announced the "Comprehensive Plan for Activating the Han River Water Surface" at Seoul City Hall, stating, "We will make the Han River water surface a space for citizens' daily lives, a center for leisure, and a growth hub." This comprehensive plan is a follow-up to the "Great Han River Project" launched in March last year to maximize the value of the Han River. It specifies policies for the water surface sector and includes new projects that can create synergy effects.

Building Hotels and Offices on the River... Oh Se-hoon: "We Will Open the Era of 10 Million Han River Water Users"

Aerial view of Seoul Port. [Provided by Seoul City]

The plan, pursued under the goal of "2030 River City, Seoul," includes three major strategies, ten promotion tasks, and 26 detailed projects. First, floating facilities such as "water hotels" and "water offices," which are safe even when the Han River water level rises, will be established. The offices will be promoted as public contributions to the Han River bank maintenance project or through public-private partnership projects, while the hotels will be selected by private operators through feasibility studies conducted by the SH Corporation.

A "water food zone," where visitors can enjoy various global cuisines while viewing the Han River scenery, and the "Han River Riverbus," a public transportation and tourism means utilizing the advantages of water mobility, will also be operated. The Riverbus is scheduled for a full-scale introduction in October this year, with plans to abolish existing water taxis and introduce small-scale, demand-customized vessels to revitalize tourism.

Facilities for citizens' leisure will also be significantly expanded. A "cable water ski resort," a leisure facility accessible even to beginners, will be operated, and the "Ttukseom windsurfing site," previously available only to certain group members, will be opened to all citizens. The country's first "Water Disaster Safety Experience Center," where visitors can learn water disaster response methods through VR and 4D, will be accessible to citizens by 2025.

A new urban marina utilizing the Han River banks will also be created. The mooring facilities for vessels within the Han River will be increased to a total of 1,000 berths, and a new urban marina will be built in Jamsil. Design and construction of a medium-sized or larger urban marina capable of mooring medium to large vessels will begin next year. Additionally, a pier will be constructed in Yeouido to activate the Yeouido-Gyeongin Ara Waterway, with the future goal of creating Seoul Port, where passengers can board in Yeouido and travel along the Han River to the West Sea. The structure will allow passenger ships under 5,000 tons to dock, with design and construction starting this year at Yeouido Hangang Park between Mapo Bridge and Wonhyo Bridge, and the port is scheduled to open in the second half of 2026.

The total project cost is 550.1 billion KRW. It plans to utilize private investment (313.5 billion KRW) and public funds (236.6 billion KRW). Meanwhile, Seoul City anticipates an annual economic effect of 925.6 billion KRW through this comprehensive plan, including a production ripple effect of 644.5 billion KRW and a value-added effect of 281.1 billion KRW. The creation of approximately 6,800 jobs is a separate effect. These results reflect the expenditure of 10 million water surface users and the induced multiplier (based on the 2015 regional input-output table for Seoul).

Mayor Oh said, "Through the Comprehensive Plan for Activating the Han River Water Surface, the Han River's water surface, which has so far been only viewed, will be reborn as a space that citizens can enjoy in their daily lives. We will make the Han River water surface a space for citizens' daily lives, a center for leisure, and a growth hub to meet the increasing demand for water leisure, create many jobs and economic effects, and make it a driving force for Seoul's growth."