Hangang Bus Marks 1st Anniversary with Over 600,000 Passengers... Aiming for "Han River Economic Vitality Belt"

[Anchor]

Marking its first year of operation, the Seoul Hangang Bus has surpassed 600,000 cumulative passengers with an approval rating of over 97%. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced plans to expand piers and narrow dispatch intervals to cultivate the service as a new asset for Seoul.

Reporter Yun Nara brings us this week's news from Seoul.

[Reporter]

The Hangang Bus, South Korea's first water public transportation system, marked its 1st anniversary of operation today (18th).

Over the past year, the number of passengers totaled approximately 603,200, with 97.3% of users expressing satisfaction with the service.

The living population around the piers increased by 20.9% compared to a year ago, and restaurant card sales rose by 15.5%, demonstrating significant economic revitalization effects.

[Park Jinyoung / Head of Seoul's Future Hangang Headquarters: Through a single waterway (the Han River), people move, consumption takes place, culture and leisure are connected, and new economic activities are created.]

At the Hangang Bus Future Vision Forum, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will secure economic viability and accessibility by expanding piers and reducing dispatch intervals.

Mayor Oh Sehun stated that he will create a "Han River Economic Vitality Belt" connecting major growth hubs in Seoul, such as the Magok R&D industrial hub, the Yeouido financial district, the newly developed Yongsan International Business District, Seongsu, and Jamsil.

[Oh Sehun / Mayor of Seoul: We expect the Hangang Bus to go beyond a waterway that transports people, growing into an economic pathway that connects core economic hubs and expands Seoul's future economy.]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government noted that weekend demand for the Hangang Bus exceeds that of weekdays, and it is pursuing a plan to raise weekend and public holiday fares to between 5,000 won and 10,000 won to evenly distribute the financial burden on beneficiaries.

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According to a survey by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, apartment prices in Seoul continued their upward trend in July, rising 14.56% compared to the same month last year.

Prices increased by 1.94% compared to the previous month. The southeastern region, including the Gangnam 3 districts, and the northeastern region, including Nowon, Dobong, Gangbuk, Seongdong, and Gwangjin, saw significant jumps of 2.73% and 2.11%, respectively, while ultra-small apartments of 40 square meters or less showed a steep upward trend of 3.05%.

Actual transaction prices for jeonse (lump-sum housing leases) in July also rose 0.5% from the previous month.

(Camera: Joo Bum | Video Editing: Choi Hye-ran)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.