Former Daegu mayor Hong Joon-pyo expressed his criticism of Oh Se-hoon's flagship Han River Bus project, stating that it functions merely as a sightseeing boat. In his Facebook post on the 13th, Hong pointed out that for effective water transportation on the Han River, sufficient infrastructure such as docks and access roads are crucial. He emphasized that the Han River Bus initiative lacks these foundational elements and that its implementation, driven by superficial showmanship, fails to improve public transit functionality.

Since its official launch in September last year, the Han River Bus has faced scrutiny for not fulfilling its original purpose as the country’s first public water transportation service. Critics highlight issues like the limited accessibility of its docks, undermining its role in public transportation. Additionally, safety concerns were raised when an incident occurred near the Jamsil dock, leading to a temporary suspension of operations until service was resumed on the 1st of this month. These incidents underscore the challenges facing the project in terms of logistics and infrastructure readiness.

Moreover, this criticism is echoed by former National Assembly member Yoon Hee-sook, who also labeled Oh's project as a mere publicity stunt. Yoon cited examples of successful water transportation systems in cities like London, contrasting them with the inadequate planning observed in Seoul's Han River Bus. Her remarks reinforce the idea that the Han River Bus was impulsively modeled after foreign examples without considering local transportation needs, reflecting a lack of thorough research and planning in the project’s execution.