Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon poses with participants at the starting line of the "Sweeom-sweeom Morning" event held at Yeouido Park and Mapo-daero on July 12. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon poses with participants at the starting line of the "Sweeom-sweeom Morning" event held at Yeouido Park and Mapo-daero on July 12. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

Seoul's "Sweeom-sweeom Morning" — a Sunday program that transforms the city's roads and landmarks into public exercise spaces — is expanding to Gwangjin Bridge after drawing 6,807 participants across two earlier events in Yeouido and downtown Seoul.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday that it will run the third course, the "Gwangjin Bridge Course," at Gwangnaru Han River Park and the surrounding Gwangjin Bridge area on Aug. 2 and 9. The new course combines walking and running on the Han River with yoga, cultural experiences and leisure activities, broadening the program's offerings.

Sweeom-sweeom Morning is a community fitness program in which residents walk or run through major Seoul spaces at their own pace, with no timing or rankings. The program traces its origins to an idea Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon picked up from "Kapri Morning," a similar event he encountered during an official trip to Malaysia in late December. After a trial run in March, it moved to regular operation this month.

This month's events took place July 12, from 7 to 9 a.m., along the Yeouido-daero–Mapo Bridge stretch, and on July 19 and 26, also from 7 to 9 a.m., on a course running from Seoul Plaza along Sejong-daero to the Sungnyemun intersection.

The two completed courses — the "Han River Course" from Yeouido to Mapo Bridge and the "Downtown Course" from Seoul Plaza along Sejong-daero to Sungnyemun — drew a combined 6,807 participants. Residents freely walked and ran through streets and city spaces they normally pass through by car, taking in an unusual Sunday-morning view of Seoul.

Participant satisfaction was also notably high. Among those who joined the Yeouido-daero–Mapo Bridge course, 96.1 percent said they intended to take part again in future events; the figure was 98.1 percent for the Sejong-daero–Sungnyemun course. Participants particularly valued the ease of joining on the spot without prior registration and the program's openness to all regardless of neighborhood, age or fitness level.

The Gwangjin Bridge Course starts at Gwangnaru Han River Park and lets participants walk across Gwangjin Bridge at their own pace while taking in views of the Han River. A highlight of this course is "Gwangjin Bridge 8th Street," a multipurpose cultural space built inside the bridge's piers, which will host small yoga classes and a participatory photo event. The course offers not just exercise but a blend of fitness, culture and relaxation amid the Han River's scenery.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it hopes the Gwangjin Bridge Course will help residents discover a new side of the familiar Han River and experience a healthy weekend leisure culture that weaves together exercise, culture and rest.

The city aims to develop the series into a signature community fitness program that connects neighborhood scenery and cultural facilities, giving residents fresh ways to experience different parts of Seoul.

"We will continue to introduce courses that highlight the charms of various parts of Seoul, reflecting the opinions of residents," said Jo Seong-ho, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's tourism and sports bureau.


ikson@heraldcorp.com