By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Seoul’s new eco-friendly Hangang Bus officially launched its regular service with its inaugural voyage at 11 AM on Sept. 18, covering a 28.9-km route with seven piers: Magok, Mangwon, Yeouido, Oksu, Apgujeong, Ttukseom, and Jamsil, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced

The ferry service will kick off with a total of eight vessels. As Korea’s first waterborne public transportation system, the city has carefully designed the initial phase with safety and service quality in mind. From launch, services will run daily from 11 AM to 9:37 PM (based on arrival time), operating 14 trips at 1 to 1.5-hour intervals.

Starting on Oct. 10, following the Chuseok holidays, weekday service will expand to 30 round trips per day, including express routes during peak commuting hours, operating every 15 minutes.

Operating hours will be 7 AM–10:30 PM on weekdays and 9:30 AM–10:30 PM on weekends, with gradual improvements to service quality reflecting citizen feedback, while keeping safety as the top priority. By late October, four additional vessels will be introduced, bringing the total to 12 vessels and 48 trips per day by year-end.

The fare for Hangang Bus is ₩3,000 per trip. With the Climate Card (additional ₩5,000), passengers can ride unlimited times and receive public transportation transfer discounts. Please note, cash payments are not accepted. Real-time schedules, available seats, and weather-related service updates can be checked via major mobility apps such as Naver Map and Kakao Map.

All vessels are eco-friendly, comprising eight hybrid ships and four electric ships. Hybrid vessels reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 52% compared to diesel-powered ships, while electric vessels emit zero CO2.