🎧 Yul's Korea Audio Guide
Han River & Banpo Bridge
Narrated in English with Korean phrases by YUL of KVIBE IDOLS.
🎵 Background music: Letter on the Wind (바람의 편지) — KVIBE IDOLS · Listen to the full song →
Full transcript
Annyeong, yeoreobun! Yul here, and welcome to the Han River, Hangang. Locals come here to picnic, ride bikes, and eat ramyeon by the water. But two thousand years ago, this peaceful river was the most wanted real estate in Korea.
Why? Because whoever controlled the Han River controlled the middle of the peninsula: the farmland, the boats, the trade. The kingdom of Baekje built its first capital right here, around the Han River. Then Goguryeo came down from the north and took it. Then Silla came and took it. It was like the ultimate game of capture the flag, except the flag was a river.
And in modern times, the Han River became a symbol again. After the Korean War, Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. In just a few decades, it grew into an economic powerhouse, and people called it the Miracle on the Han River.
Now, look at this bridge. This is Banpo Bridge, finished in 1982. But here's a fun secret: it's actually a double-decker. Underneath it is a lower bridge called Jamsugyo, which means the submarine bridge, because when the river floods, it goes underwater! A bridge that can dive. Only in Korea.
And the main show? The Moonlight Rainbow Fountain. Water shoots out from both sides of the bridge, with lights and music, and in 2008 it set a Guinness World Record as the longest bridge fountain in the world. More than a kilometer of rainbow!
Yul's tip! The fountain usually runs from spring to autumn, in the evening. Grab some fried chicken and a drink at Banpo Hangang Park, sit on the grass, and watch the show. That's the most Seoul night you can have.
Next stop, let's visit a village of traditional houses with a secret hero story. Kaja!
