Despite fatal incident, Seoul unable to prevent swimming in Han River
People swim in the Han River near the southern end of Jamsil Bridge in Seoul on Aug. 9. Korea Times photo by Oh Seh-un
A short distance from where swimmers enjoyed a Sunday morning swim in the Han River, a man had died just a week earlier, caught in a whirlpool created by a submerged weir.
“Even the day before the incident, a couple of young people were swimming dangerously close to the sluice gates at the submerged weir,” said Sohn, 63, as he emerged from the river after swimming underneath Jamsil Bridge in Seoul. Even as he spoke, dozens of people could be seen swimming in the river on the southern side of the bridge.
“This is one of the few places where people can swim in open water,” Sohn said. “The number of people coming here to swim has risen sharply since triathlons began gaining popularity last year.”
But as more people take up open-water swimming as a hobby, serious safety concerns are being raised. The area near Jamsil Bridge was the scene of a fatal accident on Aug. 2, when a man in his 30s was caught in a whirlpool and pulled into the sluice gate.
Beneath the bridge, close to the swimming area, is a submerged weir that regulates the flow of water downstream from the upper reaches of the river. Five sluice gates are installed at the northern end of the bridge, near where the accident occurred. The man reportedly swam too close to the gates while some of them were open. The straight-line distance between the sluice gates and the swimming area is only about 100 meters.
A barricade stands at the entrance to the path leading down to the river, but it appeared to do little to deter people from swimming in the area. Many were seen swimming without safety gear, despite a notice stating that life jackets were mandatory, and a few ventured dangerously close to where the fatal accident occurred.
People climb over a barricade after swimming in the Han River near the southern end of Jamsil Bridge in Seoul on Aug. 9. Korea Times photo by Oh Seh-un
Image generated using artificial intelligence
Despite the fatal incident, swimming remains permissible in some parts of the river, as under current law there is no clear legal basis for banning swimming in the river, except for designated water-source protection zones.
Although the Water Leisure Safety Act allows authorities to designate prohibited or hazardous areas, its provisions apply only to “water leisure activities” involving equipment or vessels. Consequently, authorities cannot impose fines or other administrative penalties on people simply for entering the water or swimming without equipment.
There are growing calls to mark hazardous areas near sluice gates and restrict them for swimming, as sluice gates can generate powerful currents and vortices. In 2018, two firefighters were swept away by strong currents and killed while conducting a boat rescue operation near the Singok submerged weir beneath Gimpo Bridge.
“When sluice gates are opened, powerful currents form, making it difficult to guarantee people’s safety even if they are wearing life jackets,” Gong Ha-seong, a professor in the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Woosuk University, said. “Urgent measures are needed, such as installing safety barriers to prevent people from approaching the gates and significantly improving warning signs.”
The Seoul Metropolitan Government says its ability to directly restrict swimming is currently limited because it lacks the legal authority to enforce such a ban.
“We are exploring legal and institutional measures to effectively restrict people from entering hazardous waters near submerged weirs and other dangerous areas,” an official from the city’s Future Hangang Headquarters said. “This includes seeking advice from legal experts and consulting with relevant agencies.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.