Despite fatal incident, Seoul unable to prevent swimming in Han River
A short distance from where swimmers enjoyed a Sunday morning swim in the Han River, a man had died just a week earlier, caught in a whirlpool created by a submerged weir. “Even the day before the incident, a couple of young people were swimming dangerously close to the sluice gates at the submerged weir,” said Sohn, 63, as he emerged from the river after swimming underneath Jamsil Bridge in…
Despite a fatal accident in the Han River, Seoul officials have not managed to curb the activity of swimmers in the area. Just a week prior to the incident, a man had perished in a whirlpool formed by a submerged weir. Sohn, a 63-year-old witness, recounted how just the day before the tragedy, young individuals were swimming dangerously close to the sluice gates at the submerged weir.
As he spoke, dozens of people could still be observed swimming on the southern side of Jamsil Bridge. Sohn expressed his enthusiasm for the location, stating, "This is one of the few places where people can swim in open water." He further noted that the popularity of open-water swimming has surged significantly since triathlons gained prominence last year.
However, the growing number of participants has raised serious safety concerns. The scene of the fatal accident occurred near Jamsil Bridge, where a man in his 30s was pulled into a whirlpool and into the sluice gate. The submerged weir, located beneath the bridge and near the swimming area, plays a crucial role in regulating the flow of water downstream from its upper reaches.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
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