| Title |
A Study on the Urban Narrative of Seoul through Han River Bridges |
| Authors |
손서후(Son, Seo-Hoo) ; 김환용(Kim, Hwan-Yong) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2026.42.10.265 |
| Keywords |
Han River Bridges; Urban Narrative; Place; Symbol; Collective Memory |
| Abstract |
This study examines Han River bridges as cultural structures through which Seoul’s urban narrative has been formed and reconstructed. It
focuses on Hangang Bridge, the Third Hangang Bridge (currently Hannam Bridge), and Seongsu Bridge and applies Martin Heidegger’s
theory of place, Ernst Cassirer’s theory of symbolic forms, and Maurice Halbwachs’s theory of collective memory to all three cases.
Historical records, policy and administrative documents, statistics, contemporary media reports, legal materials, and commemorative records are
examined to identify changes in spatial relations, social meanings, and historical memory. The findings indicate that Hangang Bridge
connected the two sides of the river while acquiring meanings associated with modernization, reconstruction, and wartime memory. The Third
Hangang Bridge incorporated Gangnam into Seoul’s urban network and became associated with state-led development, economic growth, and
memories of urban expansion. Seongsu Bridge changed from an everyday transportation route into a site of disaster and commemoration,
symbolizing safety and social responsibility. Place, symbol, and collective memory therefore do not correspond separately to individual bridges
but overlap in different ways within each case. This cross-analysis demonstrates that Han River bridges constitute a complex urban narrative
encompassing Seoul’s spatial expansion, development, disaster, reconstruction, and social reflection. |