Hangang Bus ferry service to resume full operations on Sunday

The Hangang Bus ferry will finally resume operations across the entire Han River beginning Sunday after stopping operations for three months due to a major mishap last November.

The Hangang Bus ferry sits stranded after running aground near Jamsil Pier in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Nov. 17, 2025, after veering off course into shallow waters. [YONHAP]

The Hangang Bus ferry will finally resume operations across the entire Han River on Sunday after stopping operations for three months due to a major mishap last November.

Service was reduced to a limited 10.3-kilometer (6.4-mile) stretch between Magok and Yeouido in western Seoul after a vessel ran aground due to low water levels in November. Full operations across the river will resume following the completion of safety reinforcements, city officials announced Wednesday.

Ahead of the relaunch, the city conducted a detailed river depth inspection along an 8.9-kilometer stretch between Apgujeong and Jamsil, near the northern end of Hannam Bridge. Shallow sections were dredged, and debris was removed during the reinforcement.

A system to prevent the ferry from going off course was also installed after the ferry veered off its designated route at night and ran aground in November. An alarm will be triggered if the vessel strays from the approved route. Buoys previously criticized for being hard to see were raised from 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) to 4.5 meters.

Out of 120 issues identified during a joint government inspection, the city addressed 96 directly related to navigation safety. The remaining 24 are scheduled to be completed within the first half of the year.

Routes have also been reorganized. The ferry will now operate two separate lines centered on Yeouido Pier — an eastern route from Jamsil to Yeouido and a western route from Magok to Yeouido. Each route will run 16 round trips at one-hour intervals. Passengers traveling from Magok to Jamsil must transfer at Yeouido Pier, with no additional transfer fee. The city plans to expand waiting areas in the nearby Yeouido Hangang Park to ease congestion.

Passengers smile after boarding the Hangang Bus ferry on its opening day at Jamsil Pier in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 18, 2025. [YONHAP]

The first ferry will depart from Magok at 10:20 a.m. and at 10 a.m. from Jamsil. Beginning in April, a direct express service linking Jamsil, Yeouido and Magok will run during commuting hours, allowing passengers to travel without transfers. A temporary pier at Seoul Forest will also be installed in May during the Seoul Forest Garden Expo to accommodate visitors.

The ferry will offer free weekday rides to passengers aged 65 and older from March 3 to 13.

"Passenger safety is our top priority. We will continue to inspect and improve our services throughout the full service operation,” said Park Jin-young, the Deputy Mayor of Future Hangang Project Headquarters. “We will win back the public trust through stable and reliable service.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY HAN EUN-HWA [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]