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Hangang Bus to resume operations on Nov. 1 after completing inspections

Published: 27 Oct. 2025, 15:42 Updated: 27 Oct. 2025, 19:34

A Hangang bus is seen docked at a station in Magok, Gangseo District, western Seoul on Oct. 19. [NEWS1]

Hangang Bus, which had been suspended for about a month since Sept. 29, have completed inspections and will resume operations at 9 a.m. on Saturday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Monday.

During the monthlong suspension, Hangang Bus conducted trial runs without passengers to stabilize their operational performance and improve the proficiency of the crew.

Over 300 trial runs were carried out under conditions similar to those during actual service, including docking and undocking at piers and passing under bridges, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

“The trial runs allowed us to enhance the safety of the vessels and improve service quality,” a Seoul city official said.

Seoul completes inspections of Hangang Bus

The first boat of the day on Saturday, the day of resumed operations of Hangang Bus, will depart at 9 a.m., two hours earlier than the originally planned 11 a.m. The buses will operate 16 times a day on both weekdays and weekends at 90-minute intervals, with the last arrival scheduled for 9:37 p.m.

Passengers can board at any of the seven piers: Magok, Mangwon, Yeouido, Apgujeong, Oksu, Ttukseom and Jamsil.

Citizens wait in line to ride a Hangang bus from Jamsil on Sept. 21. [NEWS1]

To prevent cancellations like those that occurred at the start of official operations last month, two vessels will be assigned per route. Previously, service had to be canceled if a vessel experienced mechanical issues just before departure.

Starting next month, a standby vessel will be assigned at all times to address such issues, according to the city government.

Sixteen daily trips for now, to expand to 32 in 2026

Hangang Bus will continue running 16 times a day until March 2026 to adjust to seasonal and weather-related operational conditions. After that, an express route operating at 15-minute intervals during rush hours will be added, expanding service to 32 trips per day from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Fares remain unchanged: 3,000 won ($2) for adults, 1,800 won for teenagers and 1,100 won for children. City buses that were extended or newly established in August to connect with piers will also continue to operate as normal.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon poses for a photo during an opening ceremony for Hangang buses on Sept. 18. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Passengers can receive public transit transfer discounts. Those using a Hangang Bus pass — a special version of the Climate Card that is available for an additional 5,000 won — can ride Hangang Bus an unlimited number of times at no extra cost.

Real-time information on schedules, remaining seats and service disruptions due to weather will be available on apps like Naver Map and Kakao Map.

“Through a month of stabilization runs, we have completed safety and service quality improvements,” said Park Jin-young, the head of Seoul’s Future Han River Headquarters. “We will continue to do our utmost to make the Han River Bus a reliable form of water-based public transportation.”

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]]