80% of Seoul residents back Nodeul Island global arts hub project

Eight in 10 Seoul residents support the city's plan to transform Nodeul Island into a global arts destination, according to a new survey. The project, which opened a waterfront cultural space in September, calls for the phased development of a floating garden and a sky arts garden on the Han River island.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government commissioned Korea Research to conduct an online survey of 1,000 Seoul residents aged 18 and older from Oct. 14 to 19, finding that 80.2 percent backed the project. Another 82.2 percent said they intended to visit the island in the future, the city announced Sunday.

Among those who supported the project, 52.4 percent cited the expansion of cultural and leisure space as their main reason, followed by 50.8 percent who pointed to the variety of uses — gardens, walking paths, rest areas and arts programming. Of those who had already visited the newly opened waterfront cultural space, 89.2 percent gave it a positive rating. Among the 78 respondents who had visited the waterfront area both before and after its redevelopment, 96.2 percent said the ecological environment had improved.

Nodeul Island was once a sandbar connected to the Ichon-dong area of Yongsan-gu during the Joseon Dynasty, known as "sachon," meaning "sandbar village." During the Japanese colonial period, the construction of the Han River pedestrian bridge — now Han River Bridge — in 1917 required stone embankments to support the structure, turning the natural sandbar into an artificial island that came to be called Jungjido.

In 1987, the island reclaimed its Korean name, Nodeul Island, derived from the native Korean word "nodorl," meaning "a stone where egrets play," replacing the Japanese-era name Jungjido. The island was later designated a centerpiece of the "Great Han River Project" launched under the eighth directly elected city administration in 2022, triggering a sweeping redevelopment.

The Nodeul Global Arts Island project aims to extend the island's footprint across above-ground, waterfront and aerial levels, creating a space for culture, arts and ecology. In 2024, the Seoul Metropolitan Government selected British architectural designer Thomas Heatherwick's "Soundscape" as the winning design through an international invited design competition.

A waterfront cultural space comprising a play garden, an ecological garden and a gap garden opened in September. The city plans to complete a floating garden above the Han River — where visitors can enjoy performances and leisure — by next year, and a sky arts garden featuring an elevated walkway through a forest with views of the Han River by 2030.

The survey found that 80.8 percent expressed anticipation for the floating garden and 82.3 percent for the sky arts garden. Some 80.1 percent also said the project would help strengthen Seoul's competitiveness as a future city. Respondents identified improved accessibility as the top priority for further development, at 56.6 percent, followed by environmental and ecological preservation at 53.3 percent.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it plans to separate pedestrian and bicycle lanes on Han River Bridge, add new crosswalks and improve the road network to ease vehicle traffic.

"We will reflect public feedback to improve accessibility and the pedestrian environment, and complete Nodeul Island — where nature and art come together — in stages," said Ahn Dae-hee, the city's director of future space planning.