'600,000 Riders' Hangang Bus Marks 1st Anniversary: "A Time That Confirmed Potential"

The Hangang Bus, South Korea's first water public transportation running along the Han River, will mark its first anniversary of operation tomorrow (September 18).

Cumulative passengers over the past year have surpassed 600,000.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government evaluated the first year of the Hangang Bus as "a time that confirmed its potential," and announced plans to enhance safety, punctuality, and service levels so that citizens can choose the Hangang Bus as a routine means of transportation.

The cumulative number of passengers on the Hangang Bus, which began official operations on September 18 of last year, was tallied at 603,293 as of September 14.

In particular, 498,795 people used the service since March 1 alone, when the safety and operation systems were reorganized and full-route operations resumed.

Passenger evaluations are also positive.

According to a survey conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government of 3,569 Hangang Bus users, 3,472 respondents, or 97.3%, answered that they were generally satisfied with using the Hangang Bus.

Respondents who expressed an intention to reuse the service accounted for 93.2% with 3,325 people, and those who said they would recommend it to people around them accounted for 95.4% with 3,406 people.

Following the operation of the Hangang Bus, positive changes have also appeared in the residential population and commercial district indicators around the docks.

Comparing May of last year before the operation of the Hangang Bus and May of this year after its operation, it was revealed that the average monthly residential population within a 500m radius of the Yeouido Dock increased by 20.9%, and credit card sales related to nearby restaurants increased by 15.5%.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government noted that the first year of the Hangang Bus was not entirely smooth.

In the early stages of operation, the Hangang Bus experienced pilot operations without passengers due to minor breakdowns and an incident where a vessel grounded in a low-water section in Jamsil.

However, the Seoul Metropolitan Government emphasized, "Using this as an opportunity, we re-inspected the overall safety system, not only for the vessels but also for the docks and waterways," adding, "We have confirmed the initial potential for the Hangang Bus to develop beyond a mere tourism and experience medium into Seoul's water public transportation."

Going forward, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to strengthen the differentiated value exclusive to the Hangang Bus.

The vision is to develop it into a Seoul-style water transportation system that combines "movement" and "urban experience" by adding the functions of enjoying the scenery of the Han River, comfort, and connecting tourism and waterfront spaces to the function of moving to destinations like a subway or bus.

Meanwhile, to materialize these directions, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held the '2026 Hangang Bus Future Vision Forum' together with the Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation at Seoul City Hall today.

Mayor Oh Se-hoon also attended the venue to celebrate the 1st anniversary of the Hangang Bus operation and deliver a message on the achievements so far and future development directions.

In addition to the forum, various commemorative programs are prepared to celebrate the 1st anniversary, including a rooftop live performance at the Yeouido Dock, a Hangang Bus AI short-form video and photo contest, and a video content challenge for citizens.

Mayor Oh said, "I expect that the Hangang Bus will grow into an economic pathway that connects Seoul's major core economic hubs along the Han River, creating a 'Hangang Economic Belt' where new industries and vitality continue."

(Photo courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.