[Exclusive]Hangang Bus launch

[Anchor]

KBS has confirmed that Seoul City's much-promoted water transportation project, the “Hangang Bus,” will officially launch on Sept. 18.

However, with only two vessels secured so far, questions are being raised about whether the service can start as scheduled.

Reporter Jeong Yeon-uk has the exclusive.

[Report]

The “Hangang Bus,” a water-based public transit system, was first unveiled last November.

At the time, Seoul City announced that operations would begin in March this year.

[Oh Se-hoon/Seoul Mayor/Nov. 25, 2024: "You'll be able to enjoy stunning views on both sides of the river—something no other city in the world can offer."]

But the plan didn’t materialize, and the launch date was postponed multiple times.

Although Seoul City now claims the launch will happen in September, they have not released a specific date publicly. Internally, however, KBS has confirmed the official launch date has been set for Sept. 18.

That’s 11 months behind the original schedule, mainly due to delays in shipbuilding.

[Oh Se-hoon/Seoul Mayor/July 16: "It’s a reality in Korea that it’s hard to find shipbuilders capable of constructing vessels of this size."]

Now, even the revised schedule is in doubt.

With only about a month left, just 2 of the planned 12 vessels have been secured—those used for the pilot runs.

Four vessels that were supposed to be delivered in June have been delayed to the end of this month, and another two scheduled for July will now be delivered in early September.

Even after delivery, each ship must undergo inspection and final trial runs, raising concerns about whether there’s enough time for proper safety checks.

Seoul City stated that heavy rains in the shipbuilding area of Gyeongnam and labor shortages at the shipyard have delayed inspections, but there are no current plans to postpone the Sept. 18 launch.

This is KBS News, Jeong Yeon-uk.