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Man falls from Incheon Bridge in fourth such incident this month

Published: 26 Sep. 2025, 13:54

Incheon Bridge is pictured on Nov. 18, 2022. [YONHAP]

The Coast Guard launched a search Friday after a man fell into the waters below Incheon Bridge, marking the fourth such incident this month.

The Incheon Coast Guard said it received a call from the bridge control center at 3:39 a.m.

“A person fell into the water after stopping a vehicle,” the report said.

Officers who arrived at the scene found the car parked on the shoulder near one of the bridge's pylons. They believe the driver jumped into the sea. The Coast Guard deployed three patrol vessels to search the surrounding waters.

Incidents of people parking on the shoulder of Korea's longest bridge and jumping into the sea have continued. This month alone, three cases have occurred: on Sept. 9, Monday and Thursday. Since Incheon Bridge opened in 2009, 81 people have died after jumping.

The bridge operator installed 1,500 plastic barriers along the shoulders in November 2022 to prevent vehicles from parking.

However, officials later raised concerns about the lack of emergency stopping space. The operator removed the barriers last month following consultations with related agencies.

If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, LifeLine Korea can be contacted at 1588-9191 or the Crisis Counseling Center at 1577-0199. The Seoul Global Center offers English-language counseling, contact 02-2075-4180 (+1) to arrange a session. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

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 JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]