After criticism for mid-summer closures, Seoul extends public pool season for 2025

Mangwon Hangang Park’s swimming pool, one of the several outdoor pools along the Han River operated by the city, is packed with Seoulites trying to escape the heat in 2012. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)

Public swimming pools along the Han River closed in the middle of heat waves this summer, even as the scorching temperatures persisted till the end of August.

Next year, the outdoor pools will remain open till the end of August, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday.

“We will do our best to prepare so that more people can enjoy swimming in the Han River pools throughout the summer next year,” said Joo Young-tae, an official with the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

In 2024, the city’s six pools opened on June 20 and closed on Aug. 18. But the heat wave advisory was officially lifted in Seoul on Aug. 31, after 38 days.

This year’s summer also recorded the longest streak of tropical nights at 20.2 days, where the nighttime temperatures stay above 25 degrees Celcius from 6:01 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day.

Reflecting the climate change, the city also plans to operate the river-side pools until 10 p.m. next year.

This year, for the first time since 2008, the pools were open for extended hours until the evening -- ranging from 8 to 10 p.m. -- from July 24 to Aug. 11, in celebration of the Paris Olympics and the 2024 Hangang River Festival.

According to city officials, a total of 44,000 people participated in the night swims, accounting for 14 percent of the total pool users. The dates for night swim operations next year have not yet been determined.

Additionally, the city plans to enhance safety by improving lighting and creating a holiday resort-like atmosphere with new landscape lighting.

Renovations are also planned for three older swimming pools in Seoul -- Gwangnaru, Jamwon, and Mangwon -- that are currently closed. These will be updated similarly to the Jamsil pool, which reopened in June and attracted more than 55,000 visitors this year.

The city will also host various cultural events at the public pools, including movies and live music performances.

By Song Seung-hyun(ssh@heraldcorp.com)