Jamsil to Yeouido in 30 Minutes... 'Hangang Riverbus' to Operate in October

7 Magok~Jamsil Ferry Terminals Established
Subway and Bus Within 5 Minutes Walk
15-Minute Intervals During Rush Hours
Express Line Stops at 3 Stations, 16 Trips
One-Way Fare 3,000 Won, All Seats Reserved
Unlimited Use with 68,000 Won Climate Companion Card
Gimpo Route to Expand Gradually

A new public transportation system in Seoul that allows travel from Jamsil to Yeouido in just 30 minutes will be launched in October. Called the 'Hangang River Bus,' it is an eco-friendly water-based public transport connecting major points along the Hangang River, operating a total of 7 piers between Magok and Jamsil.

On the 1st, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon personally announced the detailed operation plan of the 'Hangang River Bus' at Seoul City Hall, stating, "We will utilize it as an attractive tourism resource connecting key points along the Hangang River to open an era of 30 million tourists and strengthen the city's competitiveness."

7 Piers from Magok to Jamsil... Reflecting Demand from Surrounding Areas and Nearby Public Transport Systems

The 'Hangang River Bus,' with a one-way fare of 3,000 KRW, will operate 7 piers between Magok and Jamsil at 15-minute intervals during commuting hours, running 68 trips per day on weekdays in both directions. The piers are located at ▲Magok ▲Mangwon ▲Yeouido ▲Jamwon ▲Oksu ▲Ttukseom ▲Jamsil. Seoul City explained that the final pier locations were selected comprehensively considering the characteristics and demand of residential, business, commercial, and tourism areas, connections to subway and other public transport, accessibility to interchanges and parking lots, and water depth.

The 7 piers will be divided into upstream (Magok→Jamsil) and downstream (Jamsil→Magok) routes, operating one-way trips. Operating hours are from 6:30 AM to 10:30 PM on weekdays (68 trips) and from 9:30 AM to 10:30 PM on weekends and holidays (48 trips). During weekday peak commuting hours from 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM, the service will run at 15-minute intervals, and at 30-minute intervals during other times and on weekends and holidays, ensuring punctuality as a public transportation mode.

In particular, an 'express route' stopping only at three piers?Magok, Yeouido, and Jamsil?will operate 16 times during commuting hours. While the regular route takes 75 minutes from Magok to Jamsil, the express route reduces travel time by 21 minutes, allowing travel in just 54 minutes.

However, the initially considered Gimpo-Seoul route will be gradually expanded in close cooperation with Gimpo City. The operation schedule will be decided in connection with accessibility improvement projects for the pier planned near the Gimpo Ara Hangang Lock.

Climate Companion Card Accepted, Total Capacity of 199 Passengers... Additional Accessibility Enhancements Planned

The River Bus is 35 meters long and 9.5 meters wide, with a capacity of 199 passengers per trip. Its average speed is 17 knots (31.5 km/h), and maximum speed is 20 knots (37 km/h). The one-way fare is 3,000 KRW, and unlimited rides are available with the Climate Companion Card (68,000 KRW). Advantages include no traffic congestion, all-reserved seating, onboard cafeteria, and superior convenience compared to other transport modes. The fare was set after analyzing demand changes based on fare adjustments, maximum willingness to pay, and overall financial profitability of the project.

Going forward, customized fare plans with various discounts based on usage patterns and demand will be introduced. These include monthly and annual passes for regular users and specialized passes valid for 1, 3, or 7 days for domestic and international tourists visiting Seoul. Additionally, to reduce extra fare burdens when transferring to and from metropolitan public transport, Seoul plans to discuss with Gyeonggi and Incheon to apply transfer discounts with metropolitan public transport systems. A pass allowing unlimited use of the River Bus (68,000 KRW including Ttareungi bike, 65,000 KRW excluding it) will also be launched.

Accessibility will be significantly enhanced. For the three piers?Yeouido, Oksu, and Ttukseom?that are within a 5-minute walk from subway stations, improvement projects such as walkway maintenance and installation of guide signs will be implemented.

For the four piers?Magok, Mangwon, Jamwon, and Jamsil?that have relatively less connection to subway stations, new or adjusted bus routes will be established considering surrounding road conditions like interchanges. These bus routes will pass through nearby residential, business, commercial, and tourist areas as well as subway stations, ensuring that the walking distance from the newly established or adjusted bus stops to the piers is within 5 minutes.

Official Operation Targeted for October... Pier Expansion to Sangam, Dangsan, etc. from 2025

Seoul City plans to thoroughly manage the project schedule, including pier construction, accessibility improvements, and vessel building, to ensure smooth progress aiming for official operation in October. The pier construction and accessibility improvement projects will be designed by February and completed by September, while vessel construction, currently in the final design stage, will begin in February. From 2025 onwards, the number of piers will be expanded to major Hangang River points such as Sangam, Nodeulseom, Banpo, Seoul Forest, as well as Gimpo Ara Hangang Lock and Dangsan. The number of vessels will also increase gradually to 10 in 2026, 12 in 2027, and 14 in 2029.

Seoul expects annual ridership of the 'Hangang River Bus' to grow from 800,000 in 2025 to 2.5 million by 2030. Environmentally, the shift from private car use to the River Bus is projected to reduce approximately 9,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Additional measures to secure project viability were also announced. To enable early self-sustaining operation of the 'Hangang River Bus,' revenue will be maximized by activating ancillary businesses such as convenience stores, cafes, and restaurants within the piers, minimizing financial support. When profits arise from the entire project including ancillary business income, they will be shared equally between the operating company and the city. This approach motivates the operator to promote River Bus usage while preventing excessive private profit-seeking and reinvesting shared profits into piers and related facilities.

Mayor Oh said, "With the introduction of the Hangang River Bus, citizens will experience a comfortable and pleasant commute, changing their lifestyle and responding to the climate crisis with an eco-friendly public transport mode. We will utilize it as an attractive tourism resource to open an era of 30 million tourists."

The Hangang Riververse briefing session was held on the 1st at Seoul City Hall. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is presenting the project plan. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

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