Seoul plans renaissance of Han River

Seoulites enjoy swimming at the pool inside the Ttukseom Resort at the Hangang Citizen’s Park, Seoul, on July 5. The Han River has been the basis of Koreans’ lives sharing happiness and sadness throughout the long history of 5,000 years. The Han River or “Hangang” is now emerging as one of the most representative recreation parks for millions of Seoul citizens. / Korea Times

By Alan Timblick
Head of Seoul Global Center

The Han River is about one kilometer wide as it flows through the city of Seoul. There are very few major cities around the world which have as wide a body of moving water as the Han, although the historically classical place to found a city is on the banks of a navigable river where it can be supplied by water-based transport and enjoy the benefits of a trading center as merchants bring their goods by boat.

In the 1960s the river had some wide sandy banks, just like the seashore and it is still possible to find pictures of citizens relaxing by the water, even though those who could afford the time to relax may not have chosen to let their skin get too dark with sun-tanning. Upstream, below the heights of Walker Hill, small pleasure boats were for hire where couples might take a pre-cooked meal and enjoy a romantic meander with a boatman navigating between the sandbanks and sheltered from the sun by a colorful awning. Larger craft also served as floating restaurants with exotic names like "Venice" and "River Nile", although their appearance hardly lived up the titles.

But on the whole, the river was not used as a resource for recreation or fun.

Even as a means of navigation, the Han has been handicapped since the end of the Korean War. The 38th latitude line which divided the peninsula at the end of the Second World War ran north of Gaeseong and the estuary of the Han River where it runs into the Yellow Sea was well within South Korean territory. So at that time boats could sail from the ocean right up to the shores of the city, as long as they were of shallow draft, since the river was not at all deep.

The Korean War not only resulted in the destruction of all of the few bridges which spanned the Han, but more permanently left the dividing line several kilometers further south than the 39th parallel and since then the north bank of the estuary westwards has lain within North Korea, turning the waters into a no-go zone flowing under the guns of both sides. Navigation out to and in from the sea has ceased altogether.

During certain times of the year the Han was not at all friendly to the residents of Seoul. Quite to the contrary. It became a dangerous threat during the rainy season when inevitably it would burst its banks and flood the nearby neighborhoods, destroying property and leaving hundreds of families homeless.

Nor was the river a beautiful sight all the year round. In the drier seasons the flow would shrink to a stream which meandered along the bed between muddy shoals.

Centuries of soil erosion from the mountains towering over the upper reaches of both the South and North Han Rivers had deposited grit and gravel downstream so that the river bed became ever flatter and wider. The additional quantity of water which descended in the monsoons was too much for the shallow basin to cope with, resulting in the widespread flooding already mentioned.

Up until the 1970s the River was not even perceived as flowing through the center of the city. Seoul was almost entirely based on the north side of the river so the Han was in a way the southern boundary of the city limit. There were very few bridges across the river and it actually acted as a barrier to development southward within the larger basin in which Seoul lies.

The frenzy of bridge building began in the 1980s and continued through the 90s and even up to today. This was absolutely necessary since from the 1980s onwards there was a massive shift of population to the newly developing residential areas in Gangnam - the South-of-the-river zone which rapidly grew into a second version of Seoul. Before long the river became less of a barrier and more of a link tying the two halves of the city together. As the prestigious schools moved from their original foundations to surround the prospering apartment complexes in the south, the more prosperous sections of society also migrated.

And yet still the River did not get its due attention. Apartments built close by, with potentially splendid views across the shining water and toward the distant mountains, literally turned their backs to the river. Balconies shaded by curtains served as storage areas and only the washing machines and the drying laundry enjoyed the river breezes.

With over half the population residing in the south, the river became what it is now, a waterway running right through the heart of the capital city. It was no longer a kind of irrelevant adjunct on the edge of the inhabited area, and it now required the full attention of the city authorities.

The awarding of the honor of hosting the Olympic Games gave a boost to forming new policies for the Han. Since the site of the main stadium was to be at the so-far undeveloped quarter of Chamsil, on the South bank, the need for access roads and infrastructure called for the building of a riverside highway which would be raised high enough to avoid flooding. This provided an opportunity at the same time to raise the banks which would deepen the river and allow more water to flow.

A major transformation of the river thus took place during the 1980s under the Chun Doo-hwan government, in time for the Olympics in 1988. The river bed was dredged, grassy areas on both sides created where the people could walk, relax and enjoy sports. Highways were built along the riverside both north and south to accommodate more traffic, and the water of the river was cleaned up by removing most of the upstream sources of industrial pollution. A flood control system was also created with a barrage across the river which could adjust the flow of water according to the season. Now at last there was a real prospect that the river could be tamed.

Certainly the population took full advantage of the new playgrounds. In the sweltering heat of summer families who may not have had home air-conditioning would camp out together in the evenings, cooled somewhat by the night breezes, and try to steal a few hours sleep. At several locations public swimming pools were built, though the densely packed bodies dipping in them may have had hardly any room actually to swim.

During the term of office of Lee Myung-bak as Mayor of Seoul further improvements were made. In particular cycle paths, which doubled as tracks for in-line skaters, were created. The river was becoming increasingly associated with the popular craving for physical well-being and became a mecca for getting exercise for the apartment-dwellers of Gangnam.

But still the changes were not finished, and under Lee's successor the Oh Se-hoon administration, a comprehensive project to make more intensive use of the waterway and to vastly improve accessibility is under way. The Han River Renaissance Project envisages a far-reaching transformation which will concentrate more and more activities on the river itself and on its banks.

Thus, the bridges have been turned into night attractions, with cafes suspended above them and colored lighting at night giving each bridge a unique character. Banpo bridge is now installed with a rainbow fountain. Floating islands of exotic shapes are under construction to take pedestrians, cultural and social events right onto the water. Water taxis provide an alternative means of transport up and down the river, avoiding the road-bound traffic jams.

Even more ambitious are plans to bury the highways on either bank below water level and cover them over so that the dwellings bordering the river have direct access to the banks. And, rewriting the geography of the City, the long-awaited Gyeongin canal connecting the Han and the West Sea, emerging south of Gangwha Island and just north of Incheon, will once again provide a link between Seoul and the ocean.

Once this connection is made, it will be possible to bring sea-going ships, as long as they are of shallow draft and not too tall to pass under the bridges, all the way from China to the very heart of Seoul.

Already one may spot the occasional white sail steadily tacking along the river with the grace of a crane bird and in the summer season wind-surfing has become quite popular. But plans to create a series of jetties and marinas promise to turn the Han into a paradise for water sports, with crafts of various sizes and shapes populating the stretches between the bridges.

The Han does of course have tributary streams running into it at several points along its course though the city. The Renaissance Master Plan also envisages embracing these streams so that water and the pleasing objects which float on water may be brought closer to and into the center of Seoul.

The Han River has been the basis of Koreans' lives sharing happiness and sadness throughout the long history of 5,000 years with the Korean people who have suffered endless hardships. The Han River or "Hangang" is now emerging as one of most representative recreation park for millions of Seoul citizens.

It may be a long way from Venice, but we may have a real hope that a cooler and greener Seoul may also be, in some respects, an aqua-city.

Ride a ferry on the Han
One of the best ways to see the river is, of course, by boat. But you don't have to spend a fortune on chartering a vessel. The Han River Ferry cruises are reasonably priced and are certainly comfortable. Even in rainy weather these boats cruise up and down the river at a leisurely pace, ideal for spending time with friends. There are light snacks, refreshments and drinks available on board.

There were always ferries plying their trade but in the old days they were the only means of crossing the river and several place names along the banks preserve the original designation of ferry terminal sites. But today they are less a means of transport and more of a provider of a pleasant experience.

The city looks quite different from the water and while being still very close, the easy-going pace can make the passenger feel as if he is a whole world away. In the summer watching the windsurfers and water skiers skim across the waters can be almost as much fun as doing it oneself.

Departure times vary throughout the year but in the peak season the boats depart every hour. The first trip is just before midday and the last boat leaves around nine o'clock in the evening. Reservation is not possible so the best advice is just to turn up and buy a ticket on the spot. Prices average nine thousand won and children are half price.

There are several starting and finishing points along the banks between Nanji and Jamsil. All of them are well served by public transport connections, whether bus or subway, and several are close to car parking facilities. The average journey time is about one hour.

Bridges over Han River
The first bridges across the Han were in fact not fixtures but pontoon arrangements of connecting floating barges across which boards, tree branches, earth and sacking were laid to permit a stable crossing. The earliest of these was moored at the location of today's Hangang Bridge. It was only when a more substantial arrangement was needed with the advent of railway transportation that the first fixed bridge, made of steel and concrete, was put up at the same place. This was the first Hangang Rail Bridge, it took from 1897 to 1900 to erect and it stood till 1950 when it was blown up to prevent the advancing North Korean army from crossing.

The first bridge for vehicle and foot traffic was also called the Hangang Bridge and it opened in 1917. It suffered the same fate in 1950. It was not until 1965 that bridge building began in earnest, with the Yangwha Bridge, and by the time the Seoul to Busan Expressway was opened the Hannam Bridge was already ready in 1969. This bridge has been enlarged twice and now carries 12 lanes of motor traffic.

The 1970s and 1980s saw a feverish bout of bridge construction. Perhaps it was too hurried since one, the Haengju Bridge, saw one of its suspension towers snap during construction and another, the Seongsu Bridge, opened in 1980, collapsed in a tragedy in 1994.

Most of the bridges are for road connection but some do combine motor vehicle and rail or subway train crossings, notably Dongho, Dongjak, and Cheongdam.

Today there are 29 bridges crossing the Han between the convergence of the North and South Han rivers and the point where the Imjin River flows into the Han. A thirtieth is near to completion and will carry the Arex express train link between Seoul Station and Gimpo and Incheon Airports. Yet another will open in 2015, to be called the World Cup Bridge.

Who is Alan Timblick?

The writer is the head of the Seoul Global Center. Previously he served as Head of Invest KOREA at KOTRA. He has lived in Korea for 24 years.

He worked with Barclays Bank for 27 years with a varied career, as an economist, a high street banker and as Country Manager in Sweden, Finland, Belgium and Korea. In 1997 he set up the Seoul office of the Executive Search Firm Korn/Ferry International.

He has held advisory and directorship posts in many organizations including UNDP, Daegu Bank, Korea Exchange Bank, the Presidential Committee on Policy Planning and the Seoul Foreign Investment Advisory Council. He currently serves on the Advisory Forum of the Presidential Committee on Nation Branding and is Advisor to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. He graduated from Oxford University and received his MA from Kansas University. In 2005 he was appointed an Honorary Citizen of Seoul by then Mayor Lee Myung Bak.