What activities and amenities are available at Seoul’s Swieom-Swieom Morning event on Jamsil Bridge?

The event is a noncompetitive 5-kilometer round trip, and participants may walk, jog, cycle, push strollers or bring leashed pets. It will also offer group stretching led by comedian Kim Hye-sun and a mobile fitness assessment booth.

Early risers get rare chance to walk across Jamsil Bridge at sunrise

Q: How will traffic and public buses be affected during the Jamsil Bridge walking event?

Four of the bridge’s eight lanes will be partially closed from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. on event days. The remaining four lanes will carry two-way vehicle traffic, and public buses will run their normal routes without interruption.

Q: How does Seoul’s Swieom-Swieom Morning program reward repeat participants?

Walkers who collected digital stamps through the mobile app beginning with the October outing on Gwangjin Bridge can receive commemorative fridge magnets at each Jamsil Bridge session. Three matching magnets form one artwork, and participants attending at least four events across the series earn an additional souvenir.

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Summary

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold its Swieom-Swieom Morning walking event on Jamsil Bridge in Seoul from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Nov. 8 and Nov. 22. The free, noncompetitive outing offers a 5-kilometer round-trip course, with no preregistration required. Participants can walk, jog, cycle, push strollers or bring leashed pets, while four of the bridge’s eight lanes will be partially closed to traffic. The city says the initiative promotes a more relaxed weekend routine.

Key Facts

The bridge spans the Han River and connects Songpa and Gwangjin districts in eastern Seoul.
The city will partially close four lanes from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.; the other four will carry two-way traffic, and buses will continue on their normal routes.
Celebrity comedian Kim Hye-sun will lead group stretching sessions, and a mobile booth will offer fitness assessments.
Participants who collected digital stamps through the mobile app after the October event on Gwangjin Bridge can receive commemorative fridge magnets at each Jamsil session.
The initiative began as a pilot in March and became a regular series in July; its 10 events through October drew roughly 52,000 participants.

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Published Nov 4, 2026 2:16 pm KST

Early risers walk toward Jamsil Bridge over the Han River during Seoul’s 'Swieom-Swieom Morning,' a free municipal event encouraging residents to take a slow-paced weekend stroll. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government — Early risers walk toward Jamsil Bridge over the Han River during Seoul’s "Swieom-Swieom Morning," a free municipal event encouraging residents to take a slow-paced weekend stroll. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

Seoul residents and visitors will have a rare opportunity to cross one of the city's busiest vehicular bridges on foot at sunrise this month, as the capital expands a popular weekend fitness initiative designed to encourage a more relaxed lifestyle.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday that it will host its "Swieom-Swieom Morning" event on Jamsil Bridge from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on two upcoming Sundays, Nov. 8 and Nov. 22.

The program takes its name from the Korean descriptive phrase "swieom-swieom," an expression that loosely translates to "taking it easy," "taking frequent breaks," or "moving at a gentle, unhurried pace." In a fast-paced metropolis famous for its high-stress palli-palli ("hurry-hurry") culture, the event aims to offer urbanites a slow-paced weekend routine.

Participants will embark on a 5-kilometer round-trip course starting at the southern end of the bridge, which spans the iconic Han River to connect Songpa and Gwangjin districts in eastern Seoul. Designed as a noncompetitive outing rather than a race, the course features no timed records or rankings. Attendance is free with no preregistration required, and participants are welcome to walk, jog, ride bicycles, push strollers or bring pets on leashes.

To accommodate the event, the city will partially close four lanes of the eight-lane bridge between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. on event days. The remaining four lanes will carry two-way vehicular traffic, and public bus services will run along their normal routes without interruption.

At the venue, participants can join group stretching sessions led by celebrity comedian Kim Hye-sun or visit a mobile fitness assessment booth equipped with professional health analysis tools.

The initiative also incorporates a gamified collection scheme. Walkers who have gathered digital stamps via a mobile app since the program's October outing on Gwangjin Bridge will receive commemorative fridge magnets at each Jamsil Bridge session. Collecting three matching magnets forms a single unified artwork, while those attending four or more events across the series will earn an additional souvenir.

Initially launched as a pilot project in March, the slow-living initiative was formalized into a regular series in July. Previous editions have temporarily opened other major thoroughfares — including Mapo Bridge and Sejong-daero, the grand ceremonial boulevard in central Seoul — attracting roughly 52,000 participants across 10 events through October.

"Watching the sunrise over the Han River while walking or running across Jamsil Bridge will offer a special experience that is hard to find in everyday city life," said Cho Seong-ho, director general of Seoul's Tourism and Sports Bureau.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

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