The Seoul city government announced on the 2nd that it has decided to convert all convenience stores in Hangang Park into "floating convenience stores." Of the total 23 convenience stores, 21 are already floating convenience stores, and the remaining two will also be converted. The Seoul city government plans to make all newly installed convenience stores in Hangang Park floating convenience stores in the future.
Accordingly, the convenience store in Jamshil Hangang Park will be replaced with a floating convenience store in August. The convenience store in Gwangnaru Hangang Park will also be converted into a floating convenience store by April next year.
A floating convenience store is designed to create a sealed space at the bottom, providing enough buoyancy to support the weight of the store. When the surrounding area fills with water, the store will float. This measure aims to reduce potential flooding damage that could occur when the Han River overflows due to heavy summer rains.
In addition, the Seoul city government plans to increase the number of "floating restrooms" in Hangang Park to a total of 37 by the end of this year. This would mean that 27% of the total 138 restrooms in Hangang Park will operate as floating restrooms.
A Seoul city official noted, "If 14,000 tons of water are discharged from the Paldang Dam due to heavy rains, there is a high risk of flooding in Banpo, Jamwon, Mangwon, and Gangseo areas," adding, "We plan to replace existing restrooms in these areas with floating ones or install new ones."