The Han River River Cross Swimming Challenge, a swimming competition that was scheduled to be held over the weekend for two days on the Han River, effectively ran for only about half a day after repeated cancellations and reversals of approval due to rain and discharge volume from the Paldang Dam.
The organizer announced normal operations up to just before the event, then notified a halt after the Seoul city government's cancellation notice, and on the next day issued conflicting guidance with the city over whether approval had been granted. Participants said normal operations did not take place and are signaling lawsuits seeking entry fee refunds and damages.
About 500 people are participating in the KakaoTalk open chat room "2026 HANKS damages lawsuit" on the 22nd. They are discussing legal responses, including entry fee refunds and claims for damages.
◇ 500 people gather in a KakaoTalk room for the "HANKS" damages suit
The 2026 Han River River Cross Swimming Challenge was set to be held from the 20th to the 21st at the Jamshil Bridge south underwater weir ferry dock on the Han River in Seoul. The event, in which swimmers cross the Han River, has been held annually since 2014 and is a popular fixture among swimming enthusiasts known as "HANKS."
Confusion began on the 19th, the day before the event. With up to 50 mm of rain forecast for the weekend, participant inquiries about whether the competition would be held continued. The event guidelines state that if daily rainfall of 50 mm or more is expected, or if the Paldang Dam discharge exceeds 800 tons(t) per second, the competition may be halted for safety.
The organizer, the Songpa-gu Swimming Federation, sent a text message to participants on the 19th saying, "There is rain in the forecast for the 20th, but not to the level that would postpone the event." At 6 a.m. on the 20th, the first day of the competition, it again announced that the event would proceed as normal.
◇ Announced normal operations, but… halted after 10 minutes on day one
However, about an hour and 30 minutes before the start, participants learned that the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Han River Headquarters had canceled the event. When a participant inquired about whether the event would proceed, the Future Han River Headquarters disclosed an official letter stating, "We inform you that the event has been canceled due to increased discharge from the Paldang Dam and the opening of the underwater weir."
An official at the Future Han River Headquarters said, "From the evening of the 19th to the morning of the 20th, it kept raining heavily on site, so we canceled it," adding, "We had been in communication about the weather conditions (with the organizer) since before the event."
The organizer notified participants of the cancellation around 9:40 a.m. on the 20th. It was about 10 minutes after the competition had begun. The Songpa-gu Swimming Federation said, "In accordance with the cancellation notice from the city of Seoul, we are unavoidably halting the event," and added, "We ask registered participants to come to the venue to receive their souvenirs."
The confusion continued the next day. Around 4 p.m. on the 20th, the organizer notified participants that events on the 21st, day two of the competition, would proceed as normal. But around 9 a.m. on the 21st, the Future Han River Headquarters sent a text message to participants saying, "The organizer's announcement of 'normal operations' was made without any coordination with the Seoul city government, and today's event is an unauthorized illegal activity."
The Future Han River Headquarters later reversed its position. Around 12:30 p.m. on the 21st, it withdrew the prior cancellation and sent an official letter approving the event to proceed as normal. It said the move took into account that the Paldang Dam discharge volume was remaining stable.
◇ Participants say "not normal operations"… organizer says "no refunds under the rules"
Participants argue that the two-day event was not properly operated amid repeated approvals, cancellations, and reversals. The first day was halted shortly after it began, and on the second day, only the afternoon schedule was officially approved.
Participant A said, "I came up from the provinces and spent about 250,000 won not only on the entry fee but also on the previous night's lodging and transportation," adding, "Do we have to apply for the competition prepared to throw away our money?"
Another participant, B, said, "It's not the participants' fault that the competition was not properly run," adding, "It's right to refund the entire entry fee."
The Songpa-gu Swimming Federation says refunds are difficult under the event guidelines. The guidelines include language that says, "If it is impossible to proceed due to heavy rain or a natural disaster after the venue has been set up, the competition will end with the distribution of souvenirs."
Participants counter that applying such a clause is unfair. There had been prior notice that if it was determined on the event day that the competition could not be held due to heavy rain or a natural disaster, the event would first be postponed to July 18–19, and second to Aug. 15–16.
This is not the first time the Han River River Cross Swimming Challenge has faced controversy over its operation. In 2022, due to the impact of the typhoon "Hinnamno," the Seoul city government requested a halt the day before the event, but the organizer pushed ahead, sparking controversy.
Participants then filed a lawsuit seeking the return of entry fees, and the court found that the organizer had to bear part of the entry fees and the litigation expense. A, who also joined that lawsuit at the time, said, "We suffered damages in the exact same way then and this year," adding, "We will proceed with a lawsuit this time as well."