Han (한강/漢江)
River
The Han River in Seoul
Country	South Korea
City	Seoul
Primary source	Namhan River
- location	Geomryongso, Taebaek, South Korea
Secondary source	Bukhan River
- location	Kumgang, North Korea
Source confluence	Yangpyeong
Mouth
- location	Yellow Sea, South Korea, North Korea
Length	514 km (319 mi)
Discharge
- average	670 m3/s (23,661 cu ft/s)
The Han River System

This article contains Korean text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Hangul or Hanja.

The Han River is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amnok, Duman, and Nakdong rivers.^[1] It is formed by the confluence of the Namhan River (South Han River), which originates in Mount Daedeok, and the Bukhan River (North Han River), which originates on the slopes of Mount Geumgang in North Korea. The River flows through Seoul and then merges with the Imjin River shortly before it flows into the Yellow Sea. The two major branches of the river, the Namhan River and the Bukhan River, come together at Yangsu-ri, Gyeonggi-do province, at which point it is referred to as the Han River. It then passes through Seoul and continues on to the Yellow Sea (or West Sea to Koreans). Broad tidal flats can be found at the mouth of the Han River, where it meets the sea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone that divides South and North Korea.^[2]

The total length of the Han River (to include its tributaries the Namhan and Bukhan Rivers) is approximately 514 kilometres (319 mi).^[3]

Although it is not a long river, the lower Han is remarkably broad for such a relatively short river. Within Seoul city limits, the river is more than 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) wide. Prior to the construction of a number of major dams, the river was known for its huge coefficient of river regime (ratio between the maximum and minimum amount of flow) of 1:390. (For comparison, The Thames and the Rhine have coefficients of 1:8 and 1:18, respectively.)^[4]

The Han River and its surrounding area played an important role in Korean history. The Three Kingdoms of Korea strove to take control of this land, where the river was used as a trade route to China (via the Yellow Sea). However, the river is no longer actively used for navigation, because its estuary is located at the borders of the two Koreas, barred for entrance by any civilian.

There have been fears, such as the 1986 Water Panic in South Korea, that North Korea could attack Seoul by releasing a flood from the upstream dam.^[5]

Along the banks of the river, especially in Seoul, pedestrian walkways and bicycle paths are available on both sides of the river. Various restaurants and cafes are located on these paths. While most bridges crossing the Han are for motor vehicles or subways only, citizens may cross select bridges on foot or by bicycle.

Subways crossing Han River[link]

• Seoul Subway Line 1 (Yongsan~Noryangjin)
• Seoul Subway Line 2 (Gangbyeon~Jamsillaru, Dangsan~Hapjeong)
• Seoul Subway Line 3 (Oksu~Apgujeong)
• Seoul Subway Line 4 (Ichon~Dongjak)
• Seoul Subway Line 5 (Yeouinaru~Mapo, Gwangnaru~Cheonho)
• Seoul Subway Line 7 (Ttukseom Resort~Cheongdam)

In late 2011, Bundang Line (Sincheongdam~Seoul Forest) will cross Han River by a tunnel beneath the riverbed.
In 2017, Line 8 will open to extension that will cross the Han River.^[6]
In 2018 the Sin Bundang Line will cross Han River by a tunnel beneath the riverbed.^[7]

The name[link]

The Namhangang (Namhan meaning 'South Han' and gang meaning 'river') is sometimes, but not always, referred to as the "Han" in South Korea. The term "South Han" is understood irrespective of which side of the border one stands.

Even though "Namhan" and "Bukhan" are homophones with the acronyms Namhan (남한; "South Korea") and Bukhan (북한; "North Korea"), used commonly in South Korea, this is a mere coincidence. The hanja for the Han River is not 韓 ("Korea") but 漢 (Chinese).

What is today called the Han River has been called by different names through the course of Korean history. During the period of the Han Commanderies on the peninsula and the early part of the three kingdom's period the river was oft referred to as the Daesu (대수; 帶水). The state of Goguryeo called it the Arisu (아리수; 阿利水), Baekje called it the Ugniha (욱리하; 郁里河), while the kingdom of Silla termed it the Iha (이하; 泥河).^[8]

History[link]

The Han River has played a central role in Korean history from the earliest times. The kingdom of Baekje was the first to lay claim to the Han River, recognizing its strategic significance, as a primary waterway linking the central western region of the peninsula with the Yellow Sea as well as for the river's fertile alluvial banks, a relative rarity on the mountainous peninsula. Namhan Fortress, located south of Seoul, is posited as an early capital of Baekje. It was not long before the region near the effluence of the Han River with the Yellow Sea, around present day Seoul, became a bone of contention between Baekje and the rising kingdom of Goguryeo. During the reign of its King Jangsu (r. 413-491) Goguryeo wrested the western terminus of the Han River from its rival Baekje. The ensuing decades would see a tug of war over the region until 551 when Baekje, in an alliance with Silla, confirmed its control over the Han River basin. But this alliance was not to last, and in 553 Silla broke its alliance with Baekje to seize control of the entire river as part of its bid for domination of the peninsula.

With the demise of both Baekje and Goguryeo and then the unification of the peninsula under Silla in 668, the Han River entered its long era as a "Korean river", first under the control of Unified Silla (668-918), then of the succeeding Goryeo dynasty (918-1392), and finally as part of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). During the Joseon period the Han River achieved new prominence as the primary waterway of the new Korean capital of Seoul, or Hanyang.

During the Korean War, then South Korean President Syngman Rhee fled Seoul to the south of the river, fearing the imminent occupation of the city by North Korean forces. In an attempt to slow their approach to the south of the river, the South Korean military destroyed the Han Bridge, along with the hopes of thousands of citizens of escape.

The Han River now belongs largely to the Republic of Korea, or South Korea, with its effluence in the Yellow Sea a few nautical miles from North Korea (though some of the river's tributaries are in North Korea). During the first few decades of South Korea's existence the Han River became a byword for pollution, as burgeoning industry and an impoverished populace used it as a convenient spillway for industrial and urban refuse. Though it no longer plays a central role in commerce or transportation it is a prime fixture in the life of the South Korean capital and in the last decade has become the focus of government sponsored environmental efforts to clean it up and transform it into an ecological jewel of the capital. During the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, the Han River was the site of the Olympic rowing regatta.

From 2009 the Lee Myung Bak administration resuscitated a project to dig a canal linking the Han River with the Yellow Sea at Incheon. This forty kilometer Gyeongin Canal will link the Han River near Gimpo in Seoul to Incheon and is scheduled for completion in 2011. It will accommodate both large container and passenger vessels.

Tributaries of the Han[link]

Tributaries are listed in order from the mouth of the Han to the source. Subtributaries are listed accordingly.

Jungnancheon meets Han, seen from Dongho Bridge

Cheonggyecheon

Tancheon

View of Yangjaecheon

• Gongneungcheon (곡능천)
• Najinhacheon (나진하천)
• Changneungcheon (창능천)
• Anyangcheon (안양천)
  • Dorimcheon (도림천)
• Jungnangcheon (중랑천)
  • Cheonggyecheon (청계천)
• Tancheon (탄천)
  • Yangjaecheon (양재천)
  • Yeosucheon (여수천)
  • Bundangcheon (분당천)
  • Pungdeokcheon (풍덕천)
• Gyeongancheon (경안천)
  • Neungwoncheon (능원천)
  • Yangjicheon (양지천)
  • Unhakcheon (운학천)
• Bukhan River (북한강)
  • Munhocheon (문호천)
  • Hongcheon River (홍천강)
    • Sandaecheon (산대천)
    • Deoksancheon (덕산천)
      • Seongjeoncheon (성전천)
    • Yasidaecheon (야시대천)
  • Gapyeongcheon (가평천)
  • Soyang River (소양강)
  • Sanaecheon (사내천)
    • Yongdamcheon (용담천)
  • Magunaemeo (마구내머)
    • Mahyeoncheon (마현천)
    • Bongocheon (봉오천)
• Namhan River (남한강)
  • Sinnaegaeul (신내개울)
    • Heukcheon (흑천)
  • Yongdamcheon (용담천)
  • Bokhacheon (복하천)
    • Jukdangcheon (죽당천)
    • Pyogocheon (표고천)
    • Gwanricheon (관리천)
  • Yanghwacheon (양화천)
  • Geumdangcheon (금당천)
  • Cheongmicheon (청미천)
    • Gyecheon (계천)
      • Ungcheon (웅천)
  • Seom River (섬강)
    • Iricheon (이리천)
  • Mokmicheon (목미천)
  • Hwangsancheon (환산천)
  • Guryongcheon (구룡천)
  • Yeongdeokcheon (영덕천)
  • Daejeoncheon (대전천)
  • Dalcheon (달천)
    • Yodocheon (요도천)
  • Dong River (동강)

Bridges over the lower Han[link]

A total of 27 bridges cross the Han River in Seoul National Capital Area (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon), South Korea, are,

From the west to the east

Banpo Bridge

Yanghwa Bridge

Dangsan Railway Bridge

Hangang Railway Bridge and Hangang Bridge

• Ilsan Bridge; 일산대교 • Gimpo Bridge; 김포대교 • Haengju Bridge; 행주대교 • Banghwa Bridge; 방화대교 • Gayang Bridge; 가양대교 • Seongsan Bridge; 성산대교 • Yanghwa Bridge; 양화대교 • Dangsan Railway Bridge; 당산철교 • Seogang Bridge; 서강대교 • Mapo Bridge; 마포대교 • Wonhyo Bridge; 원효대교 • Hangang Railway Bridge; 한강철교 • Hangang Bridge; 한강대교 • Dongjak Bridge; 동작대교 • Banpo Bridge with Jamsu Bridge; 반포대교와 잠수교 • Hannam Bridge; 한남대교 • Dongho Bridge; 동호대교 • Seongsu Bridge; 성수대교 • Yeongdong Bridge; 영동대교 • Cheongdam Bridge; 청담대교 • Jamsil Bridge; 잠실대교 • Jamsil Railway Bridge; 잠실철교 • Olympic Bridge; 올림픽대교 • Cheonho Bridge; 천호대교 • Gwangjin Bridge; 광진교 • Gangdong Bridge; 강동대교 • Paldang Bridge; 팔당대교

In Popular Culture[link]

The Han River features as a location in several movies, notable films include :

• The Host, in which the Wonhyo Bridge plays an important part.
• Castaway on the Moon, in which Bamseom (Bam island) is the island the main character finds himself stranded on.

Gallery[link]

• 

  Seogang Bridge

• 

  Seogang Bridge

• 

  Looking east along the north bank of the Han from Seogang Bridge in normal traffic conditions

• 

  Dongho Bridge

• 

  Olympic Bridge

• 

  Olympic Bridge

• 
• 

See also[link]

• List of Korea-related topics
• Rivers of Asia
• Rivers of Korea
• Geography of South Korea
• Miracle on the Han River
• Hydraulic geoengineering (China region)

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Han River

• Hangang Citizen's Park operated by Seoul Metropolitan Government
• Korea Times article on the river's modern history
• Brief History of Hangang (River)

v t e Districts of Seoul North of Han River Dobong-gu Dongdaemun-gu Eunpyeong-gu Gangbuk-gu Gwangjin-gu Jongno-gu Jung-gu Jungnang-gu Mapo-gu Nowon-gu Seodaemun-gu Seongbuk-gu Seongdong-gu Yongsan-gu South of Han River Dongjak-gu Gangdong-gu Gangnam-gu Gangseo-gu Geumcheon-gu Guro-gu Gwanak-gu Songpa-gu Seocho-gu Yangcheon-gu Yeongdeungpo-gu

Coordinates: 37°45′N 126°11′E / 37.75°N 126.183°E / 37.75; 126.183

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Korea
Capitals		Pyongyang, Seoul
Official language(s)		Korean
Area
-	Total	219,140 km2 [1][2](84th if reunified) 84,610 sq mi
-	Water (%)	2.8
Population
-	2010 estimate	73,000,000[3] (18th if reunified)
-	Density	328.48/km2  850.7/sq mi
Currency		Won (₩) (N/S)
Time zone		KST (UTC+9)
ISO 3166 code		KR/KP

This article contains Korean text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Hangul or Hanja.

Korea (/kəˈriːə/ kə-REE-ə; Korean: 한국 Hanguk [hanɡuːk] or 조선 Joseon [tɕosʌn] – (see etymology) is an East Asian region that is divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan (East Sea), and separated from Taiwan to the south by the East China Sea.

Archaeological and linguistic evidence suggest the origins of the Korean people might have been Altaic language-speaking people from south-central Siberia,^{[dubious – discuss][4]} who populated ancient Korea in successive waves from the Neolithic age to the Bronze Age.^[5] The adoption of the Chinese writing system ("Hanja" in Korean) in the 2nd century BC, and Buddhism in the 4th century AD, had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea.

The Three Kingdoms of Korea was first united during the Silla dynasty under the king Munmu of Silla. The united Silla dynasty fell to Goryeo Dynasty in 935 at the end of Later Three Kingdoms of Korea era. Goryeo was a highly cultural state and created the Jikji in the 14th century, using the world's first movable metal type printing press. The Mongol invasions in the 13th century, however, greatly weakened the nation which was forced to become a tributary state. After the Mongol Empire's collapse, severe political strife followed and Goryeo was replaced by the Joseon Dynasty in 1388.

The first 200 years of Joseon were marked by relative peace and saw the creation of the Korean alphabet Hangul by King Sejong the Great in the 14th century and the rise in influence of Confucianism in the country. During the latter part of the dynasty, however, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the Western nickname the "Hermit kingdom". By the late 19th century, the country became the object of the colonial designs of Japan. In 1910, Korea was invaded by Japan and remained occupied until the end of World War II in August 1945.

In 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed on the surrender of Japanese forces in Korea and Soviet troops occupied north of the 38th parallel, while U.S. troops took surrender south of it. This decision by allied armies soon became the basis for the division of Korea by the two superpowers, exacerbated by their inability to agree on the terms of Korean independence. The two Cold War rivals then established governments sympathetic to their own ideologies, leading to Korea's current division into two political entities: North Korea and South Korea. The ensuing conflict between the two was largely a proxy war.

North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a single-party state with a centrally planned industrial economy. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a free market, democratic, and developed country with membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Group of Twenty.

Etymology[link]

"Korea" derives from the Goryeo period of Korean history, which in turn referred to the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo, the first Korean dynasty visited by Persian merchants who referred to Koryŏ (Goryeo) (고려) as Korea.^[6] Koryŏ (Goryeo) is also the name of Goguryeo, which changed its name to Koryŏ (Goryeo) in the 5th century (during the reign of King Jangsu of Goguryeo). Korea is now commonly used in English contexts by both North and South Korea. In the Korean language, Korea as a whole is referred to as Han-guk (한국) in South Korea, and Chosŏn (조선) in North Korea. The latter name, also Romanised Joseon, is from the Joseon Dynasty and the earlier Gojoseon. "The Land of the Morning Calm" is an English language title for the country loosely derived from the hanja characters for Joseon.

History[link]

History of Korea
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Prehistory
Jeulmun period
Mumun period
Gojoseon ?–108 BC
Wiman Joseon 194 BC–108 BC
Proto–Three Kingdoms 300–57 BC
Buyeo, Goguryeo, Okjeo, Dongye
Jin state, Samhan (Ma, Byeon, Jin)
Four Commanderies of Han
Three Kingdoms 57 BC–668
Goguryeo 37 BC–668
Baekje 18 BC–660
Silla 57 BC–935
Gaya 42–562
North and South States 698–926
Unified Silla 668–935
Balhae 698–926
Later Three Kingdoms 892–936
Taebong, Hubaekje, Silla
Goryeo 918–1392
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