Han Dong-jin (Kim Young-kwang) and Shim Woo-joo (Lee Sung-kyung) drive over this bridge in episode 2 of Call It Love (Sarang-ira Malhaeyo/사랑이라 말해요) (Disney+, 2023).

Cheon Ji-hoon (Namgoong Min) meets a client who is about to take his life on this bridge in episode 1 of One Dollar Lawyer (천원짜리 변호사) (SBS, 2022).

A hopeless and depressed Do Yong-sik (Yoon Si-yoon) comes to this bridge in episode 2 of You Raise Me Up (유 레이즈 미 업) (Wave, 2021) to reflect on his life.

Baek Seung-yoo (Lee Do-hyun) walks along this bridge alone at night in episode 2 of Melancholia (멜랑꼴리아) (tvN, 2021), with math equations continuing to fill his head and vision. In episode 7, he returns here 4 years later.

After an unpleasant meeting with the president, it is not her usual driver but K (Lee Ki-taek) who drives Cha Kyung-hee (Jang Young-nam) back home (giving her a final warning by Kang Yo-han [Ji Sung]) over this bridge in episode 11 of The Devil Judge (악마판사) (tvN, 2021).

Tak Dong-kyung (Park Bo-young) and Myul Mang (Seo In-guk) walk down this bridge at the end of episode 2 of Doom at Your Service/Destruction Doom (어느 날 우리 집 현관으로 멸망이 들어왔다) (tvN, 2021).

Kang Maria (Jo In) contemplates ending her life by jumping from this bridge in episode 1 of Taxi Driver/Deluxe Taxi (모범택시) (SBS, 2021). As she stands on the edge, she spots the number of ‘Deluxe Taxi’ on the bottom railing. Later, she is picked up by Kim Do-ki (Lee Je-hoon) and she tells him her story as they drive across the bridge.

In an advertisement for cosmetic company KT featuring top actress Oh Joo-in (Im Jin-ah/Nana of Afterschool), she (dressed up as Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s) wistfully looks out of a car’s window while it passes over this bridge — as seen in the advertisement’s screening in episode 1 of Oh My Ladylord/Oh! Master (오! 주인님) (MBC, 2021).

Yoon Sun-hak (Seo Yi-sook) walks across this bridge in episode 6 of Start-Up (스타트업) (tvN/Netflix, 2020), and stops in her tracks when she sees a white carnation tied on one of its rails. Later in the episode, she recalls how she’d seen someone jump off the bridge at that very same spot.

In episode 1 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (사이코지만 괜찮아) (tvN, 2020), Moon Gang-tae’s (Kim Soo-hyun) good friend Jo Jae-soo (Kang Ki-doong) gives him a ride home on the back of his motorbike. Unfortunately, on the Hangang Bridge the bike breaks down and the two men have to push it home, ironically past a billboard advertising their own drama!

Han Jae-hyun (Yoo Ji-tae) drives over this bridge in episode 7 of When My Love Blooms/The Most Beautiful Moment in Life (화양연화 – 삶이 꽃이 되는 순간) (tvN, 2020), en route to seeing Lee Se-hoon (Kim Young-hoon). While on an evening walk in episode 12, Jae-hyun walks across this bridge while trying to get in touch with Yoon Ji-soo (Lee Bo-young) over the phone. When he’s unable to get in touch with her, he picks up his pace and starts to run. In a throwback to the 90s in episode 13, Jae-hyun (Jin-young of GOT7) and Ji-seoo (Jeon So-nee) walk along this bridge after missing the last bus.

Oh Ssu-ni (Jang Na-ra) forces Na Wang-sik (Choi Jin-hyuk) to let her know King Lee Hyuk (Shin Sung-rok) whereabouts and he brings her to this bridge in episode 12 of The Last Empress/Empress’s Dignity (황후의 품격) (SBS, 2018-19). Here, they both watch the king kissing his lover Min Yoo-ra (Lee Elijah) on a boat that passes under this bridge.

Lee Young-jae (E-som) crosses this bridge while on the bus listening to her Discman in episode 1 of The Third Charm / The 3rd Charm (제3의 매력) (JTBC, 2018), en route to the group blind date.

Kim Ji-woon (Ha Seok-jin) and Im Da-young (Bona of WJSN) both end up on this bridge in the evening in episode 2 of Your House Helper (당신의 하우스헬퍼) (KBS2, 2018) and this is how they first meet. She is frustrated, needs somebody to talk and uses the ‘suicide phone’ to do so until police men come and get here to make sure she is not suicidal. He just left his mother’s memorial day celebration after his father made a scandal and thinks back to a time when he came to this bridge to commit suicide and sees Da-young being taken away. Ji-woon is back here in episode 26, saying a final goodbye to his ex-love.

Park Dong-Hoon (Lee Sun-Kyun) comes to this bridge in episode 6 of My Mister/My Ajusshi (나의 아저씨) (tvN, 2018) and seems to contemplate suicide. Lee Ji-An (IU) follows Dong-hoon’s whereabouts on a tracking devise on her smartphone and comes rushing towards him when seeing that he lingers by this bridge for too long.

Both frustrated with their lives and thinking about ending it, Seo Poong (Lee Jun-ho of 2PM) and Dan Sae-woo (Jung Ryeo-won) — wearing a fencing mask and with her horse Busker in tow — come to this bridge separately in episode 4-5 of Wok of Love/Greasy Melo (기름진 멜로) (SBS, 2018) — to the same spot that Dong-Hoon in My Mister came to. They start to talk with each other and Poong offers a lucky cookie to Sae-woo while both decide to keep on living. They part ways and meet here again in episode 8 when Poong is searching for Sae-woo being afraid she will really commit suicide this time (after having understood that the girl with the horse and fencing mask was the woman he just told off). He asks her what message she has found in her cookie and he tells her he didn’t even read his (which, of course, he did and which said that she is his true love).

Cha Dong-tak (Cho Jung-seok) and arrested conman Gong Soo-chang (Kim Sun-ho) get encircled by a motorbike gang on this bridge in episode 1 of Two Cops (투깝스) (MBC, 2017-18). In episode 2, Dong-tak jumps down the bridge with unconsciousness Soo-chang on his shoulder to flee the scene. This is happens in front of café 노들직녀카페 that sits on the north end of the bridge.

Desperate Seo Tae-soo (Cheon Ho-jin), Seo Ji-an’s (Shin Hye-sun) father, walks on this bridge in episode 6 of My Golden Life (황금빛 내 인생) (KBS2, 2017).

The ambulance that transports Choi Yeon-kyung (Kim Ah-joong) to the hospital in episode 2 of Live Up To Your Name, Dr. Heo/Deserving of the Name (명불허전) (tvN, 2017), passes over this bridge.

In episode 1 of TVN’s Bride of the Water God 2017 (하백의 신부 2017) (2017), this is where Yoon Soo-ah (Shin Se-kyung) looks over the railing of a bridge holding a white chrysanthemum, which she tosses down to the water below before jumping down herself into the Han River.

In episode 9 and 10 of tvN The Liar and His Lover / Lovely Love Lie (그녀는 거짓말을 너무 사랑해) (2017), Yoon Soo-rim (Joy) chases Kang Han-gyeol (Lee Hyun-woo) after the Mush&Co debut showcase and then Hang-gyeol confesses to her that he likes her on this bridge.

It’s underneath this bridge that Kim Sung-ryong (Namgoong Min) gets back his account books from Seo Yool (Lee Joon-ho) in episode 5 of Chief Kim/Good Manager (김과장) (KBS2, 2017); he burns them directly.

This is where Kang Chul (Lee Jong-suk) wants to commit suicide in W Two Worlds (더블유) (MBC, 2016) in episode 1 and does so in episode 6 and leaves behind a devastated Oh Yeon-joo (Han Hyo-joo). It is written “삶이 때로는” [“Life is sometimes”] where Kang Chul jumps of the bridge.

This is also where Park Ha-na (Park Ha-sun) goes to get drunk and get her frustration out in episode 8 of Drinking Solo (혼술남녀) (tvN, 2016).

It is underneath this bridge that Detective Jung Man-chul (Kim Min-sang) hands over the incriminating watch to Jo Ui-sun (Kim Kyu-cheol) who throws it directly into the Han River in episode 3 of Shark (상어) (KBS2, 2013).

Disappointed and stressed out Kim Jeong-kyu (Lee Sun-ho) walks on this bridge in tears a couple of days after he has lost the 39th International Mathematical Olympiade competition against Han Deuk-gu (Hyun Bin) in episode 1 of The Snow Queen (눈의 여왕) (KBS2, 2006-07) when he suddenly leaves the footpath caused by his blurred vision he is overrun by a white truck.

Heartbroken Yu Soo-hyeok (Lee Dong-gun) races over this bridge with his motorbike in episode 6 of Lovers in Paris (파리의 연인) (SBS, 2004).

The two brothers Cha Ho-joong (Kim Bo-kang) and Cha Seung-hyo (Yoon Kye-sang) have an argument at the feet of this bridge in episode 15 of Who Are You? (Nuguseyo?/누구세요?) (MBC, 2008) which ends in a fight.

Having just arrived in Seoul after his father’s death, Choi Jang-bi (Moon Ji-yoon) has lost the meaning in his life and comes to this bridge in episode 3 of Romance (Romangseu/로망스) (MBC, 2002) and plays with the idea to end it.

Lee Sun-Jae (Ryu Si-Won) comes here right after he learns about who his father is in episode 11 of Beautiful Days (아름다운 날들) (SBS, 2001).

When Hyun Woo (Jang Dong-gun) learns that his first love –that he just met again– has a fiancé, he comes to this bridge in episode 2 of Springtime/Day of Youth/Youth (MBC, 1999) being down and heartbroken.

Also seen in Last Minute Romance (막판 로맨스) (Naver TV Cast/JTBC, 2017).

— The Suicide Forecast (수상한 고객들) (2011 — Source)
— The Host (괴물/Gwoemul) (2006)
— In the final third, Yongary destroys this bridge —more precisely a model of this bridge— in Yongary: Monster from the Deep (대괴수 용가리) (1967).

— BTS (방탄소년단): ‘Run‘ (2015)

Hangang Bridge/Han River Bridge [한강대교/漢江大橋] is the first bridge that was built to cross Hangang/Han River. Completed in October 1917, its 100th anniversary was celebrated in October 2017. If people walk over this bridge in K-Dramaland, it is usually on the southern part underneath the artificial island. Crossing this bridge on foot might be reminiscent of the first version of this bridge, which was as ‘pedestrian bridge’ —called Hangang Indogyo/Hangang Footbridge (한강 인도교)— mainly used by people and carriages. “Along both edges there were pedestrian paths and in the center was a lane for small carts, oxen and ponies.” writes and continues Robert Neff for the KoreaTimes: “It was a symbol of modernity ― a step into the future ― but it also became a popular site for people to commit suicide.” Suicides became so common that police guareded the brige and signe in Korean and Japanese were erected that read “Endure just a little more!”.
In July 1925, a great flood heavily damaged the bridge and with increasing traffic, the bridge was rebuilt in 1937 and tram tracks were added. In 1950, during the Korean War, the bridge was partly destroyed through bombing by the government to avoid North Korean troops to enter Seoul. During the bombing, 500 and 1,000 people (mostly civilians) were killed because it was not informed about the bombing beforehand. The bridge was restored only in 1954.

Later, in 1982, an identical twin bridge was built right next to the bridge ad the bridge was re-named to its current name, Hangang Bridge. Today, signs incorporated on the ground on the Southern pedestrian entry of the bridge and on Nolseom serve as reminders of the original place of the footbridge. The northern part has no upper metal structure.

Like Mapo Bridge [마포대교], there were also positive quotes placed along this bridge in 2013 as part of a ‘Bridge of Life‘ campaign, in an attempt to lower suicide rates. (Note: If you are in distress and require a listening ear, please find a hotline on this international resource list. — Mich KDL) By July 2020, the quotes that were written by the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon along with soprano Sumi Jo, actor Ha Jung-woo and singer Lee Hyo-ri were removed “after civil complaints were filed about the uncomfortable truth that the late mayor who wrote the suicide prevention message killed himself,” as stated on Korea Bizwire. This might be the reason why they do not appear in When My Love Blooms.

Hangang Bridge is located in Seoul’s neighborhood Ichon [Ichon-dong/이촌동] in the Yongsan District [Yongsan-gu/용산구], passing directly over Nodeulseom [노들섬].

Geolocation: 37.515543, 126.957742
Wok of Love; My Mister: 37.519442, 126.959839
When My Love Blooms: 37.520419, 126.960459
Melancholia: 37.518993, 126.959674

— submitted by Marion KDL, updated by Mich KDL; last updated 17/03/2023
— Photo taken by © Mich KDL, April 2018

— One Dollar Lawyer; Bride of the Water God 2017 added by Chelle
— The Liar and His Lover added by We-we
— Last Minute Romance added by Star
— My Mister added by Sadie from GiveMeSlippers
— It’s Okay To Not Be Okay added by sarahms