Starting from 10 AM on the 24th, available for both locals and foreigners, the Han River Bus, which will open its first trial ride opportunity to the public on the 1st of next month, is recruiting early bird participants.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 23rd that they will begin accepting applications for the Han River Bus Citizen Experience Group “Early Bird” from 10 AM on the 24th. Both Seoul citizens and domestic and international tourists can register their name, gender, and contact information on the boarding experience website via PC or smartphone.
The citizen trial rides, running until August 30th, operate every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. In July, it will run once each at 2 PM and 7 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the “Yeouido to Jamsil” direction, and once at 2 PM in the same direction on Saturdays. If navigation becomes difficult due to weather conditions such as heavy rain or flooding, a cancellation message will be sent 4 hours prior to boarding.
During this citizen trial operation, the bus will travel the Han River without intermediate stops from Yeouido to the Jamsil pier. Additionally, photo zones will be set up at each pier. Participants are encouraged to leave reviews on social media after the experience, with a chance to win various prizes through a raffle.
The new waterborne public transportation introduced by Seoul, the Han River Bus, is planned to officially start operation in September. It will cover about 31.5km, connecting seven piers: Magok, Mangwon, Yeouido, Ok-su, Apgujeong, Ttukseom, and Jamsil. The Han River Bus has passed final safety and performance inspections by KOMSA (Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority) and has undergone pilot operations with experts on board.
Park Jin-young, Director of the Future Han River Headquarters in Seoul, stated, “Since early June, the city has focused on service and system checks, allowing priority boarding to city and affiliated agency employees and experts to ensure a safe operating environment. We welcome applications and genuine feedback from citizens and tourists interested in experiencing the Han River Bus.”