Two Sundays on a Car-Free Bridge: Our Family’s Autumn at Jamsugyo

Collage of our family outing at the Car-Free Jamsugyo festival
Two Sundays on Jamsugyo

My wife and I decided to run there from home, and our daughter grabbed her skateboard, her newest obsession, and came along. She was so happy to join us that the day already felt half successful before we’d left.

Some background first. Jamsugyo (literally “submersible bridge”) is the low bridge that runs right under Banpo Bridge, linking Yongsan on the north bank of the Han River with Seocho on the south. It sits close to the water on purpose: when the river rises during the summer monsoon, the bridge is designed to go underwater for a while. On festival Sundays it’s closed to cars and turns into one long pedestrian street, with Banpo Hangang Park (one of the big riverside parks along the Han) right at its southern end. Yeouido, where we started, is an island district a few kilometers downstream, known for its office towers and riverside park.

We went to the Sunday “Car-Free Jamsugyo” festival twice this October. I’ve put everything in one place: how we got there, what we ate, opening hours, and how to book the programs. Here’s the short version: if you’re free on an autumn Sunday evening, go to Jamsugyo.


The Short Version

  • According to the official website, the second half of the festival runs every Sunday from September 6 to October 25, 2:00–10:00 p.m. As I write this, there are two Sundays left this year: October 18 and 25.
  • Entry is free. Only some programs charge a fee or need advance booking (per the official website).
  • We covered about 6 km (roughly 3.7 miles) from Yeouido, my wife and I on foot and our daughter on her skateboard, then took Subway Line 9 home.
  • There are food trucks, small local shops, crafts to browse, and programs that change every week. In the evening it gets very crowded.

Key Info at a Glance

ItemDetails
Festival2026 Car-Free Jamsugyo Ttubeok Ttubeok Festival (per official website)
LocationJamsugyo Bridge and Banpo Hangang Park area (per official website)
Second-half datesSeptember 6 – October 25, every Sunday (per official website)
Festival hours2:00–10:00 p.m. (per official website)
Road closure12:00 noon – midnight, longer than the festival itself (per official website)
CostFree entry; some programs are paid (per official website)
Program bookingSome special programs need advance booking through Naver Reservation; you’ll enter your name and mobile number (per official notice)
When we wentSunday, October 4 (evening) and Sunday, October 11 (afternoon to night)
Our routeThere: running and skateboarding (about 6 km from Yeouido). Back: Subway Line 9

Dates and times come from the official website, so please double-check them before you go.


We Thought It Was a One-Day Event

Our first visit was the evening of October 4. We’d heard about 100 food trucks were coming, figured it was a one-off, and rushed out the door. Only when we got there did we find out it happens every Sunday. If we’d known about it sooner, we’d have been coming all along.

(The festival name, “Ttubeok Ttubeok,” is the Korean sound for footsteps, the steady plod of people walking. It suits a bridge you can only cross on foot.)

People and skateboarders on a wide walkway at night
Heading toward the bridge
Crowds filling the walkway under an overpass lit with orange lights
So many people

Once we got under the bridge, the crowd was really something. Festival-goers and evening walkers all move along together, so if you have kids with you, hold hands or pick a meeting spot ahead of time in case you get separated. It’ll save you some worry.

The festival around Jamsugyo at dusk
Into the festival

The Food Truck Alley Under the Bridge

The trucks were lined up so far along the bridge that it took us a while to decide where to start. There was plenty to choose from, from coffee trucks to giant chicken skewers to kebabs, and with small local shops and craft stalls mixed in, just walking around was fun. That day was special, with over 100 trucks spread along the whole bridge, but there are food trucks every Sunday as a regular part of the festival.

Food trucks under the car-free Jamsugyo Bridge
A line of trucks, and the hard choice of where to start
Evening at the food truck area under the bridge
A different menu at every truck

The popular trucks had lines. If you go around dinnertime, expect to wait a bit.

Collage of scenes under the bridge on the festival's first evening
Scenes from the first evening

Once the sun was fully down, the space under the bridge felt completely different. Everyone stopped and looked up for a long while, and we stood there too, forgetting about food for a minute.

Colorful lights rising between the bridge pillars, with visitors watching
The moment everyone stopped walking
The festival area under the bridge after sunset
Under the bridge after dark

The giant chicken skewer truck was packed every time we walked past. In the busiest stretches, it was easier to slow down and move single file so you don’t keep bumping into people.

A green truck with a giant chicken skewer poster and a busy walkway
Busy every time we passed
A festival street lined with food trucks at night
Long lines, happy waiting

The food was good and the prices were reasonable. Lots of the menu was skewers and other things you can eat while walking, so not finding a seat wasn’t really a problem.

Sotteok-sotteok, the sausage and rice-cake skewer we always look for first
Skewers, made for eating on the move
We started with a hot dog, sotteok-sotteok, and chicken skewers
A snack in every hand

I really wanted to include this one. At a light festival we went to earlier, our daughter fell in love with bead ice cream, those tiny frozen ice-cream pellets served in a cup. She remembered, and this time she made sure to get one again. Watching her make each spoonful last was adorable.

It rained briefly, but we weren't skipping the bead ice cream
A sweet cup we grabbed again this time

We wrapped up the first night with kebabs. Lots of people were eating standing up, so we joined them and had our dinner right there.

A staff member slicing meat and handing it over at a DÖNER KEBAB stall
The first night’s last dish
Our family holding kebab wrappers and looking thrilled, like we'd won the world
Eating standing up was just fine

The Second Sunday: Running There

A week later, on October 11, we set out again, this time in the afternoon. Both times my wife and I ran from home and our daughter rode her skateboard. Even though it’s about 6 km from Yeouido, running there turned out to be very doable.

Setting off along the riverside path on a skateboard and on foot
Second Sunday, off we go again
When we got tired, we walked for a bit
The route, with a skateboard along for the ride

The second trip was much easier than the first. Maybe because we knew the route, our legs felt better. The best part was having our daughter, who’d just gotten into skateboarding, come along so happily.

A riverside path leading under the bridge
Easier the second time, since we knew the way

You can take Line 9 back, so you only need energy for the trip there. If your family wants to try getting there by running or skating, doing it one way is a nice challenge.


Jamsugyo in the Afternoon: Yoga and a Kids’ Area

Even in the afternoon, there was quite a crowd under the bridge. Some stretches there have “Do Not Ride” signs because the walkway gets packed. If you bring a board or bike, plan to get off and walk it through those parts.

A large character sculpture and crowds on the walkway under the bridge
A get-off-and-walk section under the bridge
The Jamsugyo festival walkway in the afternoon
Busy under the bridge even in the afternoon
The festival area under the bridge in the afternoon
Something to see at every step

According to the official notice, that day was “Jamsugyo Refresh Day,” with a free yoga program (booking required) on the waterside stage at Banpo Hangang Park from 2:30 to 7:00 p.m. The notice said to bring your own yoga mat and limited sign-ups to one per person.

Sunlight pouring through clouds over the Han River and riverside apartments
Afternoon sun over the river
An outdoor yoga class doing downward dog on mats by the Han River
Riverside yoga on Refresh Day
A sneaky shot of my family doing yoga
An afternoon on the mat

The special programs change every week and, according to the official notice, are booked in advance through Naver Reservation (Naver is Korea’s biggest web portal, and its booking service is widely used). You can’t sign up for more than one session, and if you apply several times with the same name or phone number, only your earliest session counts. You can’t change your session after booking, and on-site they check the booking page itself. Screenshots are not accepted, so please keep that in mind. Also, even a confirmed booking is automatically canceled if you don’t show up on time.

The riverside festival area in the afternoon
Different programs every week

According to the official website, the regular programs include the Moonlight Playground, Moonlight Diner, Moonlight Shop, Moonlight Picnic Rest Area, Moonlight Workshop, Moonlight Gallery, and the Ttuttu Camel Hump Canvas. There’s a separate area for kids, so they didn’t seem bored at all while the grown-ups browsed.

Play area with Ttubeok Ttubeok festival booths and an inflatable slide
A separate area for kids to play

The weekly special programs include Jamsugyo Water Wars, Ttuttu Gather × Seoul Club ON, Jamsugyo Autumn Sports Day, Moonlight Hangawi Festival (Hangawi is another name for Chuseok, Korea’s autumn harvest holiday), Jamsugyo Food Road, Jamsugyo Refresh Day, Moonlight Jamsugyo, and Jamsugyo Chicken Day. Partner programs include Every Corner Live, Seoro Market, and a Silent DJ Party (per the official website). Check what’s on the week you plan to go and you’ll get a lot more out of the day.


When the Sunset Settled In

As the sun started dropping, our eyes kept drifting to the river. It was the perfect time to walk a little, rest a little, and repeat.

Sebitseom (Some Sevit) floating islands on the river at dusk
As the sun began to dip

There were places to sit here and there, so we each grabbed a skewer and took a breather.

Our family eating skewers at a small table under a canopy
A short break, skewer in hand
The Han River riverside at dusk
Our eyes kept drifting to the river

Of both visits, this was my favorite time of day. Maybe it’s because we’d run 6 km to get there, but that sunset felt earned.

The sun setting over the skyline beyond an arched bridge
The best time of day
In front of the Han River railing at sunset
Facing the sunset
Our family selfie by the riverside railing at sunset
One shot of the three of us

Browsing Local Shops and Handmade Goods

By evening, browsing the shops got really fun. Next to the booth where we sat and shared a snack, there was also a sign for a stamp event.

Sharing a snack at a booth next to a stamp event sign
A snack shared during a quick sit-down
Ceramic animal pieces and price tags at the DALDA Ceramics stall
Fun to look at piece by piece

Lots of stalls sold handmade goods, and we enjoyed looking at every piece. At the “DALDA Ceramics” stall, ceramic animal shot glasses were 10,000 won (about US$7), with smaller pieces at 3,000 won (about $2) and 7,000 won (about $5), according to the stall’s price tags.

A vendor we'd met at the Yeouido festival was here too, and we were so glad to see them
Little things we kept reaching for
Sebitseom (Some Sevit) looking great
As the lights came on along the river

As the lights came on one by one along the river, lots of people lined up for photos in front of the character sculpture, and we joined in for one too.

A photo with the Ttubeok Ttubeok festival character
A shot in front of the character
Acrylic merch cards with a four-leaf clover and a bear
Browsing small souvenirs

A photo printed with the date became our souvenir of the day. Whenever we take it out, I think this autumn Sunday will come right back.

Buy bead ice cream and you can get an instant photo taken
The photo that became our souvenir of the day

Heading Home on Line 9

We left the busy area under the bridge and took one more lap along a quiet path before heading home. We ran there, but on the way back we took Line 9 and rode home in comfort. Our son, whom we love dearly, couldn’t come because he’s in the middle of exams. Once they’re over, we’re planning to bring him along.

Our little princess still skateboarding on the way home
One more lap on a quiet path

Our Honest Review

What we loved

  • A bridge without cars: Just walking freely across a bridge with no traffic was a new experience in itself.
  • The food: Tasty, and reasonably priced.
  • Things to see: Beyond the food trucks there are local shops, handmade goods, and programs that change weekly. Even on our second visit, we never got bored.
  • Getting there: Running about 6 km from Yeouido turned into a little family challenge of its own.

What could be better

  • It was really crowded, so the popular trucks had lines.
  • Under the bridge the crowd gets dense, and there were stretches where you can’t ride a board or bike through.

Who we’d recommend it to

  • Families who want to spend an evening walking and eating
  • Families who enjoy active outings like running or skateboarding
  • Anyone looking for somewhere to take kids on an autumn Sunday evening

Seoul has so many beautiful and varied events like this. Both visits left us happy, and what will stick with us most is that the three of us got there together, running, skating, and walking.


Pre-Visit Checklist

  • ☐ Check the festival dates (the second half runs until October 25, per the official website)
  • ☐ Check the weekly special programs and any schedule-change notices (e.g., “Moonlight Jamsugyo” moved from October 11 to October 18, per the official notice)
  • ☐ If there’s a program you want, book ahead on Naver Reservation
  • ☐ Check the notice for what to bring to each program (bring a yoga mat for Refresh Day)
  • ☐ Roads are closed 12:00 noon – midnight on Sundays, so come by public transit or on foot or running
  • ☐ Get off your board or bike in the “Do Not Ride” sections

Getting There

We covered about 6 km from Yeouido to Jamsugyo, my wife and I running and our daughter on her skateboard. We took Subway Line 9 back. According to the official website, there are road closures around Jamsugyo every Sunday in September and October, so check the “Traffic Control” menu on the official website for the exact sections.

If you’re coming by subway, Line 9 (the gold-colored line on Seoul subway maps) runs directly between Yeouido Station and the Banpo area, and Express Bus Terminal Station is the usual stop for walking to Banpo Hangang Park. A T-money card or another rechargeable transit card works on Line 9 like on the rest of the Seoul subway. Banpo Hangang Park also has public restrooms, which is good to know if you’re staying for several hours.

Run or skate 6 km from Yeouido → food trucks under the bridge → sunset by the river → browse the craft stalls → Line 9 home

If you’ve got family to bring along, an autumn Sunday evening at Jamsugyo is well worth it.


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