Gimpo City plans to remove the riverside security fence along the Han River between the Singok Submersible Weir and the Ilsan Bridge in Gochon-eup.
On May 5, the city announced it had signed a revised memorandum of agreement with Army Unit 2291 to dismantle the fence from the Singok Submersible Weir to the south end of the Ilsan Bridge. The move expands the removal area beyond last October’s pact to open Baekmado and take down fencing.
The revised agreement allows the city to remove fencing from Baekmado (Gimpo Bridge) to the Ilsan Bridge.
Local officials say the deal with the military lays the groundwork for Gimpo — until now the only metropolitan-area city whose riverbank highlands were completely sealed off — to develop its riverfront and position itself as a Han River hinterland city.
The agreement is notable for resolving a long-standing issue that had remained unresolved for more than 20 years since the initial 2008 accord.
The stretch borders large residential complexes, creating strong local demand for access. It also ties directly into planned riverside development projects, making the corridor a focal point for future waterfront use.
The city said it will work with the military to maintain security conditions while phasing in site improvements so residents can safely use the riverfront. Officials are targeting an opening in the first half of next year.
Erected in 1972, the Han River fence served as a military security measure for the Seoul metropolitan area for 54 years, but it also became a prominent physical barrier limiting public access to the river.
City and military officials had pursued removal of this section since the 2008 agreement, but the effort stalled after the surveillance and boundary equipment the city provided failed to meet the military’s performance requirements. Subsequent legal disputes further delayed practical progress for years.
The military reviewed a revised security-operations framework that reflects changes in the operational environment and improvements in equipment performance. It identified a feasible, strengthened alternative to replace existing systems, completed an operational assessment, and moved forward with the revised memorandum.
A city official said, “We will concentrate all our efforts on returning the Han River embankment — closed for 54 years — to residents’ everyday lives as soon as possible.”
