[Seoul's Future] Mayor Oh Se-hoon: "Han River is Key to Global 'Top Five' City Competitiveness"

Despite Infinite Potential, Development Has Lagged
Emphasizing Seoul's Growth Based on the 'Great Hangang'

"Seoul aims to be a global 'top five' city in urban competitiveness. In particular, the Han River and its surrounding areas are spaces that can make a decisive contribution to enhancing Seoul's urban competitiveness."

On the 29th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon attended the '2023 Seoul Future Forum: The Future of the Han River' held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, and delivered a congratulatory speech. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

On the 29th, Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul, emphasized this during his congratulatory speech at the '2023 Future of Seoul Forum' hosted by Asia Economy at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, under the theme of 'The Future of the Han River.'

Mayor Oh first pointed out that despite the Han River's infinite potential, active development has been delayed.

He said, "Foreigners visiting Seoul for the first time are surprised twice when they see the Han River. They are overwhelmed thinking, 'Seoul, a world-class city, is traversed by a graceful and abundant river,' but then they think, 'But looking closely, why isn't this river being utilized like this?'" He added, "That is why there is so much work for the Seoul Metropolitan Government to do," emphasizing the 'Great Han River' project.

Mayor Oh announced the 'Great Han River' project in March this year. The core of the project is the expansion of cultural and leisure facilities, which have been hard to find along the Han River. Along with the 180-meter large Ferris wheel 'Seoulling,' water gondolas, port facilities, pedestrian bridges, and walking trails will be installed throughout the Han River.

While the 2007 'Han River Renaissance' focused on improving accessibility and scenery of the Han River, the 'Great Han River' aims to increase cultural and artistic facilities to enhance the fun and vitality of the Han River. Along with this, apartment height restrictions will be relaxed to diversify the skyline, and large cultural facilities such as the second Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will be established.

Additionally, Mayor Oh stated that scientific water volume control of the Han River is essential for the success of the 'Great Han River.' He said, "Our country has a monsoon season, and from some time ago, the climate has shifted to have another heavy rainfall around the Chuseok holiday. Because the water volume is variable, there are significant limitations in using the Han River."

On the 29th, at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, key guests including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (center in the bottom row), People Power Party lawmaker Cho Eun-hee (left in the bottom row), Seoul Chief Architect Kang Byung-geun (fourth from the left in the bottom row), and Asia Economy co-CEO Ma Young-min (second from the left in the bottom row) posed for a commemorative photo at the '2023 Seoul Future Forum: The Future of the Han River' hosted by Asia Economy. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Mayor Oh highlighted the HafenCity project site, a large-scale waterfront development project that transformed the urban landscape. Started in 1997, the HafenCity project is a large-scale development covering 1.55 million square meters near the port adjacent to the Elbe River in Hamburg, revitalizing old warehouses and factories into offices, hotels, shops, and residences.

HafenCity GmbH, part of the Hamburg city government, is progressing with a target completion year of 2030. The current progress rate is 75%. Considering the area's frequent flooding due to ebb and flow, the project was designed with flooding in mind. The low-rise areas adjacent to the waterfront are designated as flood zones, with each building equipped with flood barriers, and instead of housing, walking paths and parks are placed to minimize damage even if flooding occurs.

Mayor Oh said, "We are at a slight disadvantage compared to Hamburg, Germany," adding, "Our country faces limitations because rainfall cannot be accurately predicted." He continued, "The Seoul Metropolitan Government is making great efforts to solve this issue and is doing its best to establish a system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.