Safety concerns clash with views of bridge diving as common overseas
A group of apparently foreign men have stirred controversy after climbing the railing of Seoul’s Banpo Bridge and plunging into the Han River.
In posts circulating on online communities Wednesday, several videos showed the men jumping from the bridge in the evening, swimming through the river and eventually making their way out of the water.
No accidents or injuries were apparent in the footage, though 119 rescue personnel were seen near the bridge.
The incident drew mixed reactions online, with some raising concerns over the risk of accidents.
"This is incredibly irresponsible. If something goes wrong, it could put many other people at risk. With so many people visiting the area, authorities should do more to prevent this kind of behavior," one user wrote on Threads.
Others took a more relaxed view, noting that urban swimming is a familiar part of summer life in some countries.
In Switzerland, for example, people often swim in the Verzasca Valley and leap from its historic stone bridge into the clear waters below — a summer pastime even featured on the country’s official tourism website.
There is no explicit ban on swimming or diving in the Han River. However, the Water Leisure Safety Act prohibits activities involving water leisure equipment in designated sections of the river, including areas around Yeouido, Banpo and Mangwon.
"We can’t legally punish people just for jumping into the Han River, so all we can really do is tell them not to. We sometimes see people entering the river, and when our safety officers spot them on patrol, they warn them about the risks," a Seoul city official told a news outlet.
In response to growing activity on the river, the city has been working with police since April to crack down on illegal water leisure activities and to patrol for risky swimming attempts, with the campaign set to run through the end of October.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
