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Hangang Bus service to start Thursday, but rush hour operations to come later

Published: 15 Sep. 2025, 15:51 Updated: 15 Sep. 2025, 20:01

A Hangang Bus on a trial run ahead of its official launch passes through the Dongjak area in Seoul on July 1. [YONHAP]

Rush-hour commuters expecting to ride Seoul’s new ferry on the Han River will have to wait a little longer. The Hangang Bus service will officially begin operations on Thursday, but it will not run during morning rush hour, at least for now.

The city announced on Monday that preparations for the launch are complete, following weeks of test runs aimed at addressing safety and service issues. The ferry will connect seven docks — Magok, Mangwon, Yeouido, Oksu, Apgujeong, Ttukseom and Jamsil — along a 28.9-kilometer (18-mile) stretch of the Han River.

At the start of service, eight boats will operate only between 11 a.m. and 9:37 p.m. on both weekdays and weekends.

“Because this is the first-ever waterborne public transit system in Korea, we prioritized safety and service quality in setting the initial schedule,” a city official said.

The city also lengthened the time between departures. Ferries will depart every 60 to 90 minutes, for a total of 14 round trips per day.

Service expansion in October

A Hangang Bus on a trial run ahead of its official launch passes through the Banpo area in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on July 1. [YONHAP]

Service will expand beginning Oct. 10, after the Chuseok holidays. Express ferries will run every 15 minutes during peak commuting hours, with 30 weekday round trips. Weekday hours will be extended to 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and weekend service will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Four additional boats are expected to be delivered by late October, enabling the city to deploy 12 vessels and operate up to 48 trips per day.

Real-time schedules, seat availability and cancellation notices will be available on Naver Map and Kakao Map. A single ride costs 3,000 won ($2.20). Riders can add 5,000 won to their Climate Card for unlimited ferry trips and transfer discounts. Cash payments are not accepted.

Improved accessibility, amenities

A Hangang Bus operates near Yeongdong Bridge in Seoul on July 1, the first day of its trial service. [YONHAP]

To make the service more accessible, the city created a new bus route near Magok Dock in Gangseo District, western Seoul, and added or adjusted two routes each at Magok, Jamsil and Apgujeong docks.

Free shuttle buses will connect nearby subway stations with the three docks, running from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Magok and Jamsil shuttles will operate every 15 minutes, while Apgujeong shuttles will run every 30 minutes. Shuttle hours will be adjusted to match the expanded ferry schedule starting Oct. 10.

The ferries will feature a small cafe selling coffee and bagels, free Wi-Fi, bicycle racks for 20 bikes, four wheelchair spaces and 12 priority seats.

A Hangang Bus operates near Yeongdong Bridge in Seoul on July 1, the first day of its trial service. [YONHAP]

From June 5 to Aug. 23, the city hosted 66 public test runs with 5,562 participants. Eighty-one percent reported satisfaction with the service.

The city has connected the ferry operator, Hangang Bus Co., to the Ministry of Interior and Safety’s disaster response network and conducted joint drills with police and fire authorities. To reduce the risk of falls, ferry guardrails were raised from the initially planned 1 meter (3.3 feet) to 1.3 meters.

Seoul will hold a launch ceremony on Wednesday at Yeouido Dock in western Seoul.

“We have completed preparations for the Hangang Bus with safety as our top priority and will continue to improve the service by actively reflecting citizen feedback after full operations begin,” said Park Jin-young, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Future Han River headquarters.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY MOON HEE-CHUL [[email protected]]