Miracle on the Han River
During the 1980s the area around the Han River suffered from water pollution and the destruction of its landscape. Taking advantage of the momentum created by the Olympic Games, the government launched the Han River Development Project.
As part of the project, the area alongside the river was completely transformed to host the Olympic Games. This ambitious project involved remediation of the river bed, construction of the Olympic Highway alongside the river, the Olympic Grand Bridge, the Han River Park housing, and numerous recreational and green areas. The integrated urban project, combining transport, the environment and housing, revitalised and boosted the development of the whole area.
Today, the scenery of the Han River shoreline, with countless bridges, highways, parks and apartment buildings along its shore, is one of the most iconic images of Korea’s rapid economic and socio-political development, known as the “Miracle on the Han River”.