SEOUL — Seoul is preparing for an extraordinary aerial spectacle as Estonian highline athlete Jaan Roose takes to the skyline for Korea’s first urban high-altitude slackline performance.
On Thursday, Roose will attempt a 160-meter highline suspended about 120 meters above Gwanghwamun, stretching between the Koreana Hotel and the Dong-A Media Center in central Seoul.
The event is sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and organized by Red Bull Korea, bringing an extreme-sports performance into one of the capital’s busiest urban areas.
Three-time world champion takes on Seoul
Roose is a three-time world champion whose career includes a landmark 3.6-kilometer crossing over Italy’s Strait of Messina in 2024. His Seoul performance will combine highline balance with aerial tricks on a dynamic polyester webbing rather than a traditional rigid tightrope.
The athlete also has a connection to Korean culture.
During a 2022 visit to Korea, Roose experienced jultagi, the country’s traditional tightrope performance. The UNESCO-listed tradition inspired him to explore a connection between Korea’s traditional aerial artistry and contemporary extreme sports.
Seoul becomes the backdrop
Roose is scheduled to perform in two sessions, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
People watching from the ground will be able to follow the spectacle on large outdoor electronic screens installed on the two buildings. The performance will also be streamed through the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s official YouTube channel.
Meanwhile, Cheonggye Plaza will host a public interactive zone from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., featuring beginner balance lines positioned just 30 and 50 centimeters above the ground. Live skateboarding and breakdancing demonstrations will add to the event’s urban-sports atmosphere.
Strict safety measures planned
Because the performance will take place high above a densely populated part of central Seoul, authorities are putting extensive safety measures in place.
Dedicated security personnel and pedestrian barricades will be deployed around the area, while the rigging equipment is required to meet international standards. Organizers also have protocols to stop the performance if wind conditions exceed established safety thresholds.
The event reflects Seoul’s broader effort to use its distinctive mix of high-rise architecture, rivers and natural landscapes as settings for international cultural and sporting events.
Rather than placing the action inside a conventional stadium, the city is turning its own skyline into the backdrop.
And with a world champion stepping onto a narrow line suspended above one of Seoul’s busiest districts, all eyes will be on the skyline when the performance begins.
WWC ONE MEDIA
