16 daily stops added to eastern route starting Monday through late October; departure and arrival times shifted one hour later to let riders catch Han River sunsets

A Han River Bus in service. [Yonhap]
A Han River Bus in service. [Yonhap]

Commuters and tourists will be able to take the Han River Bus to Seoul Forest — the venue for the 2026 Seoul International Garden Expo — starting Monday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Friday that the Han River Bus will stop at Seoul Forest Pier 16 times a day from Monday through late October. The eastern route will run Jamsil — Ttukseom — Seoul Forest (new) — Oksu/Apgujeong — Yeouido. To balance travel time and safety, the Oksu and Apgujeong piers will be served on alternating runs: a boat departing Jamsil at 11 a.m. will stop at Oksu, while the next departure at noon will stop at Apgujeong. The International Garden Expo, which opened May 1, runs at Seoul Forest through Oct. 27.

The Han River Bus currently operates as two separate lines centered on the high-demand Yeouido Pier — an eastern line (Jamsil to Yeouido) and a western line (Magok to Yeouido). Passengers traveling from Jamsil to Magok, for instance, must transfer at Yeouido.

The Han River Bus will also shift its operating hours one hour later in both directions. The city said the change is intended to let riders enjoy Han River sunsets. The eastern line's first departure will be at 11 a.m., with the last arrival at the destination pier at 9:28 p.m. The western line will run from 11:20 a.m. to 8:32 p.m. on an arrival basis.

Ahead of the temporary opening of Seoul Forest Pier, the city conducted detailed depth surveys of the surrounding waters and the entire Han River Bus route, and completed removal of submerged floating debris to ensure safe navigation.

Han River Bus Co., the operator, is also running vessel transit and docking drills before service begins to build crew proficiency on the new route.

The navigable channel has been widened to give vessels more room. The channel width was expanded from 60 meters to 100 meters, and the area around the pier from 72 meters to 300 meters. Dredging brought the channel depth to 2.5 meters, matching the depth on existing Han River Bus routes.

To ease movement for Garden Expo visitors, the city also replaced the elevator on the Seongsu Sky Bridge — the main pedestrian link between the pier and Seoul Forest — and refurbished the walkway connecting the two.

"We expect the Seoul Forest Pier to give residents and tourists a unique experience — enjoying the Han River's night scenery and the International Garden Expo at the same time," said Park Jin-young, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Han River Bureau. "We will continue to expand the range of travel and leisure services connecting Han River waterfront spaces through the Han River Bus."

The city estimated the initial operating deficit it owes Han River Bus Co. at roughly 13.5 billion won ($8.83 million). Ridership and ancillary revenue have grown consistently every month since full-route service resumed in March, and the operator could turn a profit as early as 2028, the city said.

According to an amended MOU on the Han River Bus operating project submitted to the Seoul Metropolitan Council, the operator accumulated roughly 8.2 billion won in operating losses during the first two years of service (2024–2025), which the city plans to pay next year.

Operating losses expected this year and next are estimated at about 5.2 billion won and will be paid to the operator in 2028. The city said losses are anticipated due to high upfront investment costs, labor expenses and low public awareness in the early stage of the project.


cook@heraldcorp.com