[2026 Audit] Han River Bus Under Fire... Oh Se-hoon: "Profitable Within 3 Years" (Comprehensive)

National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee audits Seoul on Oct. 15
Democratic Party: "Mayor Oh may have been involved"; People Power Party: "A means to mislead"
Seoul plans commute-hour service, express routes and shorter intervals between departures

At the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee's audit of the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Oct. 15, lawmakers clashed over the Han River Bus, including rebate allegations, its fare system and deficit operations.

The rebate allegations emerged after reports said suspicious fund flows involving a broker had been detected in project funds paid to Gadeok Heavy Industries, the company that built the Han River Bus, and that some of the money may have gone to a senior Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH) executive.

Seoul Mayor Oh Sehun is exchanging views with Seoul Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs Park Chanku after attending the 2026 National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee’s audit of Seoul Metropolitan Government at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Oct. 15, 2026. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Rep. Park Ju-min of the Democratic Party of Korea referred to reports related to the alleged rebates and said, "The reports said that suspicious fund flows involving a broker had been detected in project funds paid to Gadeok Heavy Industries, the company that built the Han River Bus, and that the Seoul Metropolitan Government had conducted an internal investigation whose findings indicated that an SH official was highly likely to have received some of the money as a rebate."

He added, "Even more shocking, the reports said that these internal investigation findings were reported directly to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and that, despite discussions about requesting a formal investigation, no such request was made. They also said that related reports and the request for an investigation were destroyed."

Rep. Park said, "If true, this could go beyond suspicions of corruption related to project funds and become a case of the administration covering up the truth," adding, "Given the circumstances, it seems we cannot rule out the possibility that Mayor Oh was involved."

Rep. Park Jeong-hyeon of the same party, referring to the allegation that the request for an investigation was destroyed, said, "Mayor Oh may say that he was not involved, but ordinary citizens would also wonder whether the chair of the Audit Committee could so easily destroy the documents without the mayor's instructions."

However, Rep. Kwon Young-jin of the People Power Party said, "I wish people would exercise restraint when raising exaggerated allegations. Saying 'an investigation into Mayor Oh Se-hoon for bribery' is an exaggeration, isn't it?"

Rep. Park Sang-woong of the same party questioned why the report had come out just as the audit began, saying, "If certain forces use this as a means to mislead people about the audit, it feels like our audit is being seriously insulted."

The Seoul Metropolitan Government also moved to defuse the allegations. In an explanatory statement, it said that its Audit Committee had briefed Mayor Oh on the allegations on Sept. 9, 2025, and that he had then instructed officials to prepare both a request for an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection and a request for a formal investigation.

Following the instruction, the Audit Committee drafted a request for an investigation, and the draft remains in its possession. However, it reportedly concluded that the circumstances surrounding the allegations at the time were not sufficient to warrant requesting an investigation and recommended that Mayor Oh request an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection.

In October 2025, the city requested a public-interest audit from the Board of Audit and Inspection. The board dismissed the request, saying that the matter "appears to be one that can be handled directly by the city's own audit body." The city's Audit Committee is now conducting its own investigation, and the city added that it plans to request an investigation if necessary.

Seoul Mayor Oh Sehun takes the witness oath at the 2026 parliamentary audit of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, held by the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, on October 15, 2026. Photo by Kang Jinhyung.

Questions were also raised at the audit about the Han River Bus fare system. The current fares are 3,000 won for adults, 1,800 won for teenagers aged 13 to 18, and 1,100 won for children aged 6 to 12.

Rep. Jeong Chunsaeng of the Rebuilding Korea Party said, "It's called a bus, but it doesn't even operate during the morning commute. Yet the city insists that the Han River Bus is public transportation and provides budget support under an ordinance." He criticized the city, asking, "Why set the fare at a mere 3,000 won, less than the basic taxi fare, and cover the deficit with taxpayers' money?"

Mayor Oh countered that he was confident the Han River Bus would become profitable within three years. The Seoul Metropolitan Government also issued a statement, saying, "The Han River Bus is currently in the early stages of its introduction." It said the city plans to continue expanding its vessels and terminals while introducing service during commuting hours, adding express routes and reducing intervals between departures.

The city plans to add 24 Han River Bus vessels by 2035, bring the service to full operation during commuting hours and reduce intervals between departures to 15 to 20 minutes.

Regarding financial support for the Han River Bus, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said, "The Act on the Promotion of the Use of Public Transportation is not the only law that allows compensation for losses on deficit-making routes; the Act on Excursion Ships and Ferries also contains such a provision." It added, "The service is not receiving financial support solely on the grounds that it is public transportation."

Rep. Kwon defended Mayor Oh, telling him, "The number of passengers has increased by 700,000 in just one year, and punctuality has risen to around 99%. I think you've done a good job raising it over the past year." He added, "You can't expect a child who's only one year old to run, can you?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.