'Floating' swimming pools and more coming to Han River

An artist’s rendition of Art Pier, expected to be open to the public in 2026 [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

“Floating” swimming pools akin to Copenhagen’s harbor baths will come to the Han River in 2026.

Seoul Metropolitan Government said in a press release Tuesday that it plans to create a waterfront leisure space at Ichon Hangang Park in Yongsan District, central Seoul, which will include at least three swimming pools, a sunset observatory deck, performance stage, restaurants, coffee shops and boat docking facilities.

The three pools, sprawled across some 900 square meters (9,688 square feet), will include one with 25-meter lanes, one for children and one with warm water.

The project, tentatively called Art Pier, will cost about 30 billion won ($22.9 million), said the city government, adding that construction for it will likely commence in 2025 after further examination of feasibility.

The announcement came shortly after Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited Havnebadet Islands Brygge in Copenhagen on Sunday afternoon during his ongoing four-legged tour to Europe, one of the Danish capital’s four harbor bath locations.

Oh earlier this month embarked on an 11-day trip to Europe as he vowed to get inspiration on waterfront development from Britain’s London, Ireland’s Dublin, Germany’s Hamburg and Denmark’s Copenhagen.

During the tour, Oh told accompanying reporters that the best way to deliver on his promise to create many family-friendly spaces in the capital was building more swimming pools, stressing that he was keen on consulting experts once he returns home.

The Copenhagen harbor baths, which are operated by the Danish capital and cost some 520,000 euros ($557,000) to build, are open all season and visited by some 300,000 people annually.

The biggest sticking point so far is the Han River’s water quality and whether the city can use water from the river to fill up the floating pools, as Copenhagen’s harbor baths are filled with seawater.

Seoul government officials said the technicalities will be later discussed.

Over the past several months, Seoul Mayor Oh has taken every chance to promote his Great Sunset Han River initiative, a set of over 50 riverside projects aimed at creating more leisure space in the capital, including the world’s second-largest Ferris wheel, gondola lifts, floating stages and a pedestrian bridge.

The Seoul city government said most projects will be covered by investments from the private sector and completed over the next several years.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN, NA UN-CHAE [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]