Understanding Kdrama: The Han River

What do the following scenes have in common? A marathon runner ghost chases Gong Hyo Jin in "The Master's Sun." Lee Jun Ki meets a bad guy in "Two Weeks." Jung Il Woo and Lee Chung Ah bicker in "Flower Boy Ramen Shop."

The answer: It's their location. All of these scenes take place alongside the Han River in Seoul. In fact, many modern kdramas have scenes there.

It has been said that nothing good ever happens in a kdrama scene alongside the Han River but occasionally a few fun scenes happen there too.

It's where Yoon Eun Hye and Kang Ji Hwan play in those cute duck boats in "Lie To Me." It's also the location for playful scenes between Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young in "City Hunter."

By capturing the spirit of the city of Seoul, the Han River has become as important a symbol  in kdramas as the Seine is in movies about Paris.

Because the river runs through Seoul and other parts of Korea it has been strategically important throughout Korea's history. It was used as a trade route to China during The Three Kingdoms of Korea but is no longer used for navigation. Most of the river is located in South Korea but some of its tributaries are in North Korea.

Within the city of Seoul the river is about a mile wide and offers beautiful natural views and peaceful settings in a bustling, quickly developing city.

As a result, the river has become a popular place for recreational outings. There are walkways and bicycle paths on both sides of the river as well as plenty of restaurants and cafes.

In all, 27 bridges cross the Han River. Some are only for cars and subways but a few allow pedestrians. There are also eight cafes located on the bridges of the Han River and they offer great vantage points for viewing the city's glittering skyline.

Occasionally these cafes also become drama film sets with the most recent example being scenes shot for the melodrama "Missing You." In that drama there's a scene where Yoon Eun Hye tells Park Yoo Chun to meet her on the bridge but then looks down at him from the Gureum café above.

Another drama location with river views is the Riverview Cultural Center, under the Gwangjin Bridge. It was the filming location for scenes in the drama "Iris."

Probably the reason that the river is featured so often in dramas is that for Seoul residents it sums up much of what is special about their city.