Category: Seoul

It is a bit surprising how many issues this ferry boat keeps having:

Seoul’s Hangang Bus service came to an abrupt halt again when one of its vessels ran aground 118 meters from Jamsil dock on Saturday evening. The incident took place less than two weeks after resuming operations following a monthlong service suspension due to repeated breakdowns.

The hybrid-powered ferry, carrying 82 passengers, stopped after striking the riverbed at 8:15 p.m. All aboard were safely evacuated within an hour by fire and police rescue teams. No injuries were reported.

City officials, led by Park Jin-young, head of Future Han River Headquarters, explained that the ferry’s propeller and protective skeg likely scraped the bottom of the riverbed, transferring a shock to the hull.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

This is an interesting way to discourage foreigners from being a drain on public services:

A bill recently submitted to the Seoul Metropolitan Council to apply “reciprocity” to welfare and support programs for foreign residents has sparked controversy over potential discrimination.

Thirty-three council members from the conservative People Power Party submitted the proposal on Oct. 20, calling on the city government to “review reciprocity when implementing financial, education, housing and transportation support policies for foreigners.”

If passed, the ordinance would only allow foreign residents to receive city-funded benefits if their home countries offer comparable support to Koreans living there.

The draft further stipulates that foreign residents could be excluded from support programs if Korean nationals face discriminatory treatment or receive unequal benefits in the resident’s home country.

The proposal includes exceptions. Refugees requiring humanitarian protection, foreign nationals covered under bilateral or international agreements, as well as business owners and “skilled workers” would remain eligible for support regardless of reciprocity. The proposal did not say how skilled workers would be defined.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

It did not take long for these new water buses to break:

Seoul city will suspend passenger services on its new waterborne public transportation system from Monday, just 10 days after its official launch, following a series of technical malfunctions.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Sunday that the Hangang Bus will switch to trial runs from Monday until at least the end of October, aiming to enhance stability and safety for its passengers. Throughout the trial period, buses will run according to their timetables, but without passengers on board.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

For those living in Seoul there is a civil defense drill scheduled for this week:

An anti–air raid evacuation exercise will take place across Seoul at 2 p.m. on Wednesday as part of civil defense drills designed to strengthen public response capabilities in the event of missile launches or other national emergencies.

When the air raid siren sounds at 2 p.m., citizens will be required to evacuate to the nearest shelter or underground safe facility and remain there for 15 minutes.

Vehicles traveling in restricted traffic zones, including Sejong-daero in central Seoul, must stop and pull over to the side of the road, remaining stationary for five minutes.

The air raid warning will be lifted at 2:20 p.m.

KBS World

You can read more at the link.

I think the article meant Mt. Surak not Mt. Seorak. Mt. Surak is the large mountain that the old Camp Stanley in Uijeongbu is located at the base of. Mt. Surak is definitely a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of Seoul:

A new forest retreat has opened on the slopes of Seoraksan in northern Seoul, offering city dwellers a rare chance to unplug in nature without leaving the city.

Surak Hue, which officially opens Thursday, is Seoul’s first public forest lodge built within city limits. The 23.1 billion won project ($16.7 million) was jointly developed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Nowon-gu over seven years.

Located in Nowon-gu’s Sanggye-dong neighborhood, Surak Hue is built across 9,800 square meters of woodland and features 25 rooms in 18 buildings.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

I don’t get what people find so great about Squid Game, but obviously some people really love it to justify holding a parade in Seoul to promote its third season:

“Squid Game” swept through Seoul on Saturday night as a large-scale parade featuring towering character installations and figurines from the Netflix megahit marched through the heart of the city, drawing crowds of eager fans along Sejong-daero.

Co-hosted by Netflix and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the parade kicked off at around 7:50 p.m., about 20 minutes behind schedule. Held to celebrate the premiere of the show’s third and final season, which debuted on Netflix on Friday, the procession traveled from Gwanghwamun to Seoul Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

It looks like Korea may be in for a very snowy winter season this year:

The heaviest snowfall for November in 117 years blanketed Seoul and the surrounding regions Wednesday, causing injuries, disrupting traffic and cutting off power supplies, as authorities are on high alert for more snow later this week.

As of 3 p.m., the capital city had received 18 centimeters of snow, marking the biggest snowfall in November since modern weather observations began in 1907, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The new record coincided with the first snow of the season in Seoul.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

That is a question the Korea Times was asking people recently in Itaewon:

Nearly two years have passed since a deadly crowd disaster during Halloween weekend shocked the world on Oct. 29, 2022. That traumatic event led to 159 deaths and left permanent scars in central Seoul’s multicultural Itaewon area. As Halloween 2024 approaches, many are questioning whether the neighborhood will see a return to what was once one of the most vibrant and profitable weekends for local businesses.

Yet business owners and event organizers in the area said they are not yet prepared to resume Halloween celebrations as they did in the past.

“I think Halloween is naturally going to be slightly toned down for a while, particularly in Itaewon,” Ali Zahoor, co-organizer of Seoul Drag Parade, said.

“Seoul Drag Parade has a couple of Halloween-themed shows planned,” Heezy Yang, another co-organizer, added. “But we tried to choose dates and locations for them cautiously and respectfully, considering what happened in Itaewon.” (…………..)

“It hasn’t been discussed yet because we’re still a while away,” he added, “but I imagine everybody is sort of waiting to see what everyone else does, and talk to the other bar owners — ‘What are you planning on doing?'”

Last year, there was a widespread fear among foreign residents of Korea, as well as Itaewon business owners and anyone else who enjoys Halloween, about being singled out and made out to seem insensitive over Halloween.

Once again, Walsh acknowledged this fear is still a concern this year.

“Nobody wants to be in the media at the club,” he said. “We know that the wounds are still sore with the families, and I’m sure the media are gonna be looking for somebody that’s sticking out. And as a foreigner, I don’t want to be sticking out. Even the Koreans don’t want to stick out either.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.