Seoul - 5.1 The Miracle on the Han River: Accomplishments and Shortcomings

_{Understanding Korea Series No.4}
← Previous	Seoul	Next →
5) Megalopolitanization of Seoul Metropolitan Area: Megacity Seoul	1) The Miracle on the Han River: Accomplishments and Shortcomings	2) Apartment Nation and Economic Imbalance between Gangnam and Gangbuk

Many people visiting Seoul today for the first time are often overwhelmed by the expansive scenery of the Han River shoreline: countless bridges hang across the river, express ways and parks on the high water ground along the river; and the view of the high-rise apartment buildings that line the shore is spectacular. Together this may be the iconic image of Korea’s rapid, compressed development called the ‘Miracle on the Han River.’ Imagining the Han River in its original form tucked inside the modernized scene of the legendary growth is almost impossible.

There used to be several islands in the Han River that functioned as the outer river of Joseon’s Capital, and the ports were full of single-oar boats. The scenic places along the riverbank were favorite holiday spots for the citizens of Seoul. The shape of Han River began to transform as the city streets were extended to the riverside, and many bridges were built across it during the Japanese Colonial Period. The Han River, a natural river, used to overflow frequently, so the flooding of the city streets emerged as a serious issue. The Seoul Metropolitan Government launched a riverside development project in the late 1960s and built protections on both shores to prevent flood damages. Apartment buildings were built on the public waters reclamation sites secured after the embankment project. The meandering shape of the Han River with the levees completed during the riverside development project and Bamseom and Jeojado islands can be observed in a bird’s eye view photo taken in 1972. This scene has completely changed after the Second Han River Synthetic Development Project in the 1980s: in a recent photo the highways run along both shores that have been straightened.

The side effects of the development-oriented policies executed ever since the 1960s, that is the water pollution of the Han River caused by uncontrolled discharge of domestic and industrial sewage as well as the destruction of the landscape due to excessive extraction of construction material,- had been neglected for some time. In order to resolve these issues the government launched the Han River Synthetic Development Project in preparation of the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, and signaled the beginning of the Han River’s era. The Han River Synthetic Development Project was comprised of the following: the depth of the river was uniformly adjusted to 2.5 meters in the entire 36 kilometer length; the submerged weirs were built in Jamsil and Singok to solve drinking water intake issues; and the separated sewer pipes, which separate sewage and wastewater, and sewage treatment plants were revamped to prevent water pollution. The cost of construction was funded through the sales of construction materials extracted from the river bottom. The docks and marinas for boats, yachts and water skiing were built, and the high water ground along the riverside were utilized as parks that promote physical activities, recreation and relaxation. The Olympic Highway, an urban expressway, built on top of the levee, and the apartments built on the public waters reclamation site spearheaded development of Gangnam.

Without doubt the Han River development projects did produce accomplishments worthy of the title, the ‘Miracle on the Han River’ and acted as the major contributor to the growth of Seoul; however, it also created various issues. For example, due to the two development projects, the beautiful islands of the Han River such as Bamseom, Jeojado and Burido disappeared and with their disappearance so did the spectacular scenery they composed. Moreover, the natural characteristics of the river were lost after the construction of the straightened concrete shoreline protections on both shores. The public nature of the river was also lost since accessing the shores of the river became difficult due to the expressways built along the shore, and the high-rise apartment buildings built on the shore blocked the river view.

Recently, projects to restore the natural characteristics and the public nature of the Han River were launched. The Yeouido Ecological River Restoration Project converted concrete shore protection into natural shore protection; the Godeok Ecological Park Project helped restore the wetland ecosystem of the Han River; and projects were launched to improve access to the shores of Han River and return them back to the restful places for the citizens. Bamseom, which disappeared in 1969 with the development of Yeouido, returned to life in the 1990s as a habitat for migratory birds with berm and wetland. Bamseom’s rebirth as an urban ecological space and a paradise for migratory birds makes one stand in awe of nature’s ability to restore and recover and even forgive human errors.