Seoul has apologized to its residents for suspending its new river ferry system, known as the Hangang Bus, after just ten days of operation.

The city's mayor Oh Se-hoon made the statement during a press briefing at City Hall on Monday morning, apologizing in particular to those who had hoped to take the ferry during the upcoming Chuseok holiday. 

He acknowledged that multiple mechanical and electrical defects had caused anxiety among passengers and that he had decided to halt the ferry's operation to stabilize the situation.

The vessel began operating on a 28-point-nine-kilometer route linking Seoul's western Magok to the eastern Jamsil area on September 18. 

Seoul announced Sunday that it would suspend the ferry's service starting Monday in the wake of electrical abnormalities and rudder failure. The city will continue to conduct test operations without passengers on board, with service expected to resume in late October.