Evenings at Gangbyeon Station are truly a slice of serenity. By that time, with barely anyone around, the platform almost looks like a painting, except when a train rolls in. Standing there alone, feeling the breeze from the river, I can’t help but whisper to myself, ‘Ah, this isn’t so bad, right?’ It feels like a peaceful countryside, even though it’s Seoul.
But several summers ago, an epic swarm of bugs took over Gangbyeon Station. As darkness enveloped the area and the platform lights flicked on, it seemed every bug on Earth flocked there. It even made the news, where the anchor dubbed them ‘Apgujeong Bugs’ (though they never explained why). These bugs thrive in clean water, and with the Han River’s improved quality, they suddenly multiplied. While it’s awesome to celebrate the cleaner river, the sight of thousands of creepy crawlies swarming around was truly horrifying 😱. It was a fear that no film or video could capture. No matter how much you shook them off, a few might still land on your neck, ready to suck your blood (luckily, they didn’t). Facing the bug assault every evening made me almost nostalgic for the smelly old Han River.
Thankfully, by the next year, those bugs vanished from Gangbyeon Station and never returned. While I do worry that maybe the Han River got dirtier again, having the peaceful evenings back at Gangbyeon Station makes it worth it (just kidding). Anyway, if you find yourself with nothing to do, I’d recommend a slow visit to the station. Not that there’s much to do there, but still.
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