Hannamdaegyo Bridge was originally known as the Third Hanganggyo Bridge. It was renamed during the Comprehensive Hangang Development Project in 1985. As a gateway to the Gyeongbu Express Way, Hannamdaegyo Bridge served as a way to help relieve some of the anxiety people felt after the war—giving city residents another way to flee across the river in the case of an emergency. The bridge was also built as a way to indirectly relieve some of the problems of overpopulation that plagued the Gangbuk area.

Construction of the Third Hanggangyo Bridge began in 1966 and was followed the next year by the opening of the Gyeongbu Expressway, both of which ushered in the development of the Gangnam area. The value of the land in Gangnam began to skyrocket around the time that the bridge was completed, leading to the emergence of “bokbuin” (women who made huge profits from real estate speculation) and the myth of Maljuk-geori (Horse-feed Street).

Prior to construction of the bridge, commuter boats had been the only means of transportation between Gangbuk and Gangnam. Yet now, the Hannamdaegyo Bridge, which has been widened to twice its original size, welcomes crowds of people to the ritzy Gangnam area as it quietly keeps the secrets of more difficult days long gone by.