A foreign man believed to have dived into the Han River from Seoul's Banpo Bridge. [Captured from X]
A foreign man believed to have dived into the Han River from Seoul's Banpo Bridge. [Captured from X]

A video showing foreign men climbing the railing of Seoul's Banpo Bridge and jumping into the Han River has spread online, stirring controversy.

The footage was recently posted on the online community Gaedeullib under the title "What happens as more foreigners come to the Han River" and quickly circulated on SNS.

The clip, apparently filmed at Banpo Bridge, shows a group of men presumed to be foreigners climbing the bridge railing in the evening and leaping into the river one by one.

The men briefly looked around before jumping in, then swam to shore and climbed out of the water. No injuries or accidents were visible in the video, though footage also captured emergency rescue personnel — including 119 rescue units — deployed near the bridge.

Online commenters expressed concern that the stunt was not only dangerous but also a drain on public resources, with responses including: "Isn't diving into the Han River illegal?"; "They should be caught and billed for the cost of dispatching rescue crews"; "Bold move, but don't put innocent bystanders at risk"; "Enforcement is needed before a serious accident happens"; and "I'm worried others will try to copy this."

Some voices cautioned against blanket condemnation, citing cultural differences, but observers noted that jumping directly into the Han River from a bridge carries unpredictable hazards — including water depth, submerged obstacles and vessel traffic — and warrants serious caution.


betterj@heraldcorp.com