Videos showing foreign men diving from the Banpo Bridge railing into the Han River have spread widely online, sparking intense controversy.
On the 3rd, a video titled ‘What Happened as the Number of Foreigners in the Han River Increased’ was posted on an online community.
The video captured foreign men stepping onto the Banpo Bridge railing during the evening hours and jumping into the river one after another. They glanced around briefly before leaping into the Han River without hesitation. After entering the water, they swam out.
It is presumed that they escaped the scene without any major accidents. However, the reckless behavior of diving from a high bridge without any safety equipment drew ongoing criticism.
Furthermore, criticism grew fiercer as it was reported that 119 rescue workers and the Coast Guard were stationed at the scene after receiving risk reports while the video was being filmed.
According to SBS on the 7th, an official from the Yongsan Police Station explained, “At the time, foreigners were filming while jumping into the river,” adding, “Passersby witnessed this at the scene and reported it to the police through the fire department and other channels.”
Netizens reacted with comments such as, “What would they have done if it led to an actual casualties accident?”, “It is an irresponsible act of wasting rescue personnel,” and “It is extremely dangerous.”
