Service marks first anniversary Friday; 'Han River Bus Future Vision Forum 2026' held
Mayor pledges more piers, better access to draw more riders
'A multifunctional platform creating new urban experiences and economic value'
Cumulative ridership tops 600,000; satisfaction rate 97.3%, on-time rate 99.3%
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon pledged to cut Han River bus headways to 15 minutes and introduce express and cross-river routes as the service approaches its first anniversary Friday.
Oh made the remarks Thursday morning at the Han River Bus Future Vision Forum 2026, held at Seoul City Hall. "We will further strengthen safety and punctuality, expand piers and improve accessibility so that more citizens can use the service conveniently," he said. The Han River bus currently operates eight piers — seven permanent stops at Magok, Mangwon, Yeouido, Apgujeong, Oksu, Ttukseom and Jamsil, plus a temporary pier at Seoul Forest open during the International Garden Expo — with headways of about one hour.
"If the first year was a time to confirm the possibilities, we must now grow those possibilities into Seoul's future," Oh said. "The starting point lies in redefining the identity of the Han River bus." He described the service as "a multifunctional platform that not only moves people but also connects the Han River and various parts of Seoul, creating new urban experiences and economic value."
Oh said the Han River bus breaks the conventional framing of water transport as either public transit or a tourism vehicle. "Its identity is to faithfully uphold the basics of public transportation — safety, punctuality, reasonable fares and accessibility — while at the same time offering the scenery and comfort of the Han River and a fresh way to experience Seoul," he said.
The mayor added that he sees the service's potential extending well beyond transportation. "Along the Han River lie Seoul's major growth hubs — the R&D industrial base in Magok, the financial district in Yeouido, the new international business district taking shape in Yongsan, Seongsu and Jamsil," he said. "I hope the Han River bus grows beyond a waterway that carries people into an 'economic corridor' that links these key economic hubs and expands Seoul's future economy."
The Han River bus launched Sept. 18 last year. Cumulative ridership stood at 603,293 as of Monday. Notably, 498,795 passengers rode the service from March 1 through March 14 — when full-route operations resumed — accounting for roughly 83 percent of total ridership to date. In August alone, 89,246 people used the service.
Rider satisfaction has been strongly positive. A Seoul Metropolitan Government survey of 3,569 Han River bus users conducted from June 29 to July 5 found that 3,472 respondents, or 97.3 percent, said they were "generally satisfied" with the service. Some 3,325 respondents, or 93.2 percent, said they intended to use it again, and 3,406 — or 95.4 percent — said they would recommend it to others.
On-time performance also improved as operational know-how accumulated, rising from 97.7 percent in March to 99.3 percent in July. A comparison of the area around Yeouido pier — within a 500-meter radius — between May last year, before the service launched, and May this year showed that the average monthly resident population grew 20.9 percent, while card sales at nearby restaurants rose 15.5 percent.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government characterized the first year as "a time to confirm the possibilities." It plans to raise safety, punctuality and service standards further so that citizens can choose the Han River bus as an everyday mode of transport rather than a special experience. The city also intends to strengthen the service's differentiated value — building on the basic function of getting passengers to their destination, as a subway or bus would, by layering in Han River views, comfort, and connections to tourism and waterfront spaces, developing it into a Seoul-style water transit that combines mobility with urban experience.
About 100 people attended the forum, including university students, members of the general public, and specialists in finance, operations, management and public relations. Park Jin-young, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Han River Bureau, delivered the keynote, reviewing the service's operational achievements and challenges over the past year. Presentations followed from Yoon Seon-gwon, a researcher at the Seoul Institute, on "One Year of the Han River Bus: Standards of Achievement Written on the Water," and from Kim Jae-in, a senior programmer at Cannes Lions and public relations specialist, on strategies to improve public awareness and marketing of the Han River bus.
cook@heraldcorp.com
