SEOUL: Hangang Bus, Seoul’s river ferry service, will resume full operations on March 1, following months of partial service after a grounding incident in late 2025.
Ahead of the June mayoral election, the relaunch is considered a critical moment for Oh Se-hoon, who has championed the project as a centrepiece of river mobility despite mechanical troubles and persistent safety concerns.
Launched in September and modelled after London’s Thames Clippers, the Hangang Bus was intended to become a new urban transit option along the Han River.
But scepticism emerged early due to the river’s shallow depth – averaging 3m to 4m – and the system experienced repeated glitches.
In November, just two months into service, a vessel carrying 82 passengers ran aground near Jamsil Dock, prompting the city to suspend eastern operations and limit service to the Magok-Yeouido section.
The city said safety upgrades have now been completed along the entire 28.9km route connecting Magok in western Seoul and Jamsil in the south-east. The full route will reopen with a system redesigned around Yeouido as the central transfer hub.
To improve efficiency and stability, the service will operate as two separate lines: an eastern Jamsil-Yeouido route and a western Magok-Yeouido route. Each route will operate 16 round trips a day at roughly one-hour intervals.
The first boat on the eastern line will leave Jamsil at 10am, with the last arrival there at 8.27pm. The western line will begin service from Magok at 10.20am, with the final arrival at 7.32pm. Transfers between the two lines at Yeouido will be free of charge.
To accommodate projected passenger traffic at the Yeouido dock, the surrounding Hangang Park area will be used as an expanded waiting and rest space.
Beginning in April, the city plans to operate an express service linking Jamsil, Yeouido and Magok without transfers during peak commuting hours to help ease congestion on existing public transit. A temporary dock at Seoul Forest will open in May to serve visitors during the garden expo.
Ahead of the full reopening, the city conducted detailed depth surveys along an 8.9km section north of Hannam Bridge between Apgujeong and Jamsil. Based on the findings, the city said dredging was completed in areas where water depth was insufficient and debris on the riverbed was removed.
To prevent another grounding, the city installed a route deviation alarm system and replaced buoys in the accident zone with higher, more visible markers to improve night-time navigation.
Officials said 96 of 120 safety issues identified during a joint government inspection in November have been resolved, including all items directly related to navigation safety.
The remaining 24 items are set for completion in the first half of 2026.
To enhance the overall passenger experience, the city is developing “Riverview Garden” rest areas near seven docks and adding lookout terraces at Mangwon, Apgujeong and Ttukseom.
From March 3 to 13, the city will conduct a survey of passengers aged 65 and older and will offer free weekday rides for participants, excluding weekends to prevent overcrowding. - The Korea Herald/ANN
