Waterfront food zone at Banpo Han River Park to include combined ferry terminal
Waterfront food zone targeted for completion by end of 2028; Banpo terminal set to open in early 2029
Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to invest 30 billion won as safety upgrades raise costs
![A rendering of the waterfront food zone planned for Banpo Han River Park in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where a Han River ferry terminal will be built. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/08/news-p.v1.20260608.10595bbd2117429a8807163347c0cbf1_P1.png)
A Han River ferry terminal is set to be built at Banpo Han River Park in Seocho-gu, Seoul, as part of a planned waterfront food zone at the site.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has entered the final stage of basic and detailed design work for the waterfront food zone, which will include a combined Han River ferry terminal. "We plan to complete the design in August this year after an additional review by the city's internal investment screening committee," a Seoul city official said.
The city originally planned to invest 25 billion won (about $18.2 million) in the project, but said the budget has grown to around 30 billion won following enhanced safety measures. Seoul plans to reflect the project costs in next year's budget and aims to complete construction by the end of 2028 at the earliest, with the Banpo ferry terminal targeting an opening in early 2029.
The waterfront food zone will be built between the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain and Parking Lot No. 1 inside Banpo Han River Park. The Han River ferry terminal will occupy the first floor (1,960 square meters) of the structure as a combined terminal capable of berthing the Han River ferry as well as some 10 other vessels. The first floor will also house 15 food vendor booths. The second floor (840 square meters) will feature indoor and outdoor dining areas, a convenience store, a takeout cafe and a small performance venue. The rooftop will be open to the public as a photo spot and observation area.
The surrounding area will also include an outdoor performance stage, a yacht dock and a waterside walking path. The food zone will be connected to land by a bridge. The project is part of the "Han River Water Activation Master Plan" announced by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in April 2024.
The Han River ferry currently operates across seven terminals — Magok, Mangwon, Yeouido, Apgujeong, Oksu, Ttukseom and Jamsil. Starting Monday, a new Seoul Forest terminal opened in conjunction with the 2026 Seoul International Garden Expo. To ensure operational stability, the eastern route runs from Yeouido through Oksu and Apgujeong to Seoul Forest, Ttukseom and Jamsil, with the Oksu and Apgujeong terminals alternating service. The Seoul Forest terminal is currently planned as a temporary stop through October, when the garden expo concludes, though the city has not ruled out making it permanent.
Ridership on the Han River ferry has been growing consistently. Monthly passenger figures this year rose from 62,491 in March to 76,488 in April and 91,126 in May — an increase of roughly 15,000 riders each month. The daily average also climbed from around 2,000 to about 2,900 over the same three-month period, a roughly 1.5-fold increase. Since the service launched officially in September last year, cumulative ridership has exceeded 330,000. From the launch through February this year, 104,498 passengers had boarded.
Passenger satisfaction with the Han River ferry is also high. A survey of 3,115 riders conducted from April 6 to April 13 found that about 96 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with the service. About 94 percent said they would recommend it to others, and 89 percent said they intended to use it again — a level of positive feedback that analysts say is driving the continued rise in ridership.
As Han River ferry ridership grows, demand for additional terminals is likely to increase. Kim Gyeong-dae, the mayor-elect of Yongsan-gu, made building a Han River ferry terminal at Ichon a campaign pledge.
cook@heraldcorp.com
