To put things in perspective, the Hangang is the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula at an approximate length of 494 kilometers. It is made of two smaller rivers flowing from mountains to the East and converging near Seoul.
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(Han river to the left)
You might wonder why I'm bothering to write a post about this particular river. Well, like other major rivers (I'm thinking of the Gange, the Nile and the Danube as well as the St. Lawrence closer to home), the Han river has played an important role in Korean history. This river was highly coveted as it constituted a trade route with China via the Yellow Sea. And let's not overlook the fertile lands on its banks.
The river was under the control of various sovereigns up until the Joseon period when it became the primary waterway of the new Korean capital of Seoul, then known as Hanyang. While, in history this river was useful for transportation purposes, it is no longer the case as it is situated between the two Korean nations and civilians are barred entrance because of the political situation. While the Hangang largely belongs to the Republic of Korea, its effluence in the Yellow Sea is situated a few nautical miles from North Korea and some of the river's tributaries are actually located there. During the war, the Han Bridge crossing the river was destroyed by the South Korean army in order to slow the North Korean troops. This also destroyed the hopes of thousands of citizens to escape.
At the beginning of South Korea as a country, the river became extremely polluted by the new industries and the impoverished population. It became a convenient spillway for refuse. The usage of the river has since then shifted to a more leisurely purpose and the last decade has seen government sponsored environmental efforts to clean it up. It is now a location of choice for pedestrians and cyclists.
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(Walking by the river, under the many bridges)
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