Jamsu Bridge car-free festival draws record crowds before pedestrian-only conversion

Seoul's Jamsu Bridge hosted a record-breaking 2.38 million visitors during its car-free festival this year, the city announced on Wednesday. The attendance surpassed the 7.68 million visitors accumulated over the past five years, as the bridge prepares to transition into a pedestrian-only crossing. The "Car-free Jamsu Bridge Ttubeok-ttubeok Festival" concluded on October 25, with "Ttubeok-ttubeok" being a Korean term for the sound of footsteps.

Jamsu Bridge was completed in 1976 and is situated directly above the Han River's surface, just below the upper deck of Banpo Bridge, making it the closest bridge to the water. Car access to the bridge has been restricted on festival Sundays since 2022. This year's event took place on 15 Sundays between April and June, and again from September to October, attracting an average of 159,000 daily visitors.

This year saw a 40% increase in attendance compared to last year and a 110% boost from 2022. Food trucks, a handicraft market, and a farmers' market generated approximately 2.58 billion won ($1.8 million) in sales, setting a new record, which is roughly 1.7 times the previous peak set in 2024. Food truck operators generously donated 53.27 million won ($35,300) of their earnings to the cause.