Events on Nov. 8 and Nov. 22 on Jamsil Bridge

5-km course runs between north and south ends

Seoul city says some lanes will be closed during event

Buses to continue on existing routes without detours

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon walks with residents during a Sweeom Sweeom Morning event at Yeouido Park and Mapo-daero in July. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon walks with residents during a Sweeom Sweeom Morning event at Yeouido Park and Mapo-daero in July. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that it will hold its "Sweeom Sweeom Morning" leisure exercise program on Jamsil Bridge on Nov. 8 and Nov. 22, from 7 to 9 a.m. The event will close some lanes on the bridge while maintaining two-way vehicle traffic, and buses will continue running their existing routes without detours.

The highlight of this edition is the chance to walk and run across Jamsil Bridge — normally open only to vehicles — while taking in the Han River's morning scenery. Participants will follow a 5-kilometer course running between the bridge's south and north ends.

To minimize disruption, the city will not close the bridge entirely. Instead, four of the eight lanes — those in the northbound direction — will be restricted from 5 to 10 a.m. on both event days, with the remaining four lanes split into two lanes each for northbound and southbound traffic. Buses crossing Jamsil Bridge will operate on their regular routes without detours. The city also plans to strengthen advance notices so residents can check restricted lanes and hours ahead of time, and will coordinate with relevant agencies to monitor traffic conditions on the day of each event.

Sweeom Sweeom Morning is Seoul's signature morning exercise program, designed for residents of all fitness levels to walk or run freely without timed records or rankings. Participants can join by walking, running, cycling, pushing a stroller or bringing a pet. No advance registration is required — participants can sign up on-site on the day of the event at no charge, and there is no pressure to complete a set distance.

A range of supplementary programs will also be available at the venue, combining exercise, wellness and relaxation. These include warm-up and cool-down stretching sessions as well as a mobile fitness assessment service called "Seoul Fitness Center Comes to You," where participants can measure their physical fitness and strength using professional equipment.

Before the run begins, comedian Kim Hye-seon will lead a group exercise session called "Hyeseon Fit," featuring light stretching and bodyweight workouts to help participants warm up.

For regular participants, the program offers a mobile stamp system with rewards. Stamps have been available since the Oct. 18 event at Gwangjin Bridge, and participants earn one stamp per event. Those who attend on Nov. 8 and Nov. 22 will each receive a different design of a "connecting magnet"; collecting all three magnets across upcoming events completes a single image. Participants who attend four or more times will also receive a separate commemorative gift. A dedicated mobile app allows participants to view photos taken of them at the event.

Sweeom Sweeom Morning launched as a pilot program in March and has been running on a regular schedule since July, buoyed by strong public interest. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon modeled the program on Kuala Lumpur's "Car Free Morning," in which the Malaysian capital closes central streets to vehicles so residents can walk, run, jog, cycle and skate. Oh visited Kuala Lumpur late last year to announce the program's introduction in Seoul.

The city piloted the program in March at Yeouido Park and around Mapo Bridge before expanding it to Sejong-daero, Gwangjin Bridge, World Cup Park and Seoul Botanic Park, among other locations across the city. Through last month, the program had been held 10 times, drawing a cumulative total of about 52,000 participants.

"Walking and running on Jamsil Bridge while watching the Han River sunrise will be a rare and special experience that people don't get to enjoy in their everyday lives," said Jo Seong-ho, director of Seoul's tourism and sports bureau. "We will keep disruption to a minimum by maintaining two-way traffic and running buses on their existing routes, while making it easy for everyone to exercise without pressure as part of their daily routine."


cook@heraldcorp.com