What Happened When Jaan Roose Slacklined Above Central Seoul?

A figure stepped off the roof of the Koreana hotel in downtown Seoul at 1pm Thursday and walked out over a 120-metre drop. Jaan Roose, a 34-year-old Estonian aerial athlete and three-time slackline world champion, crossed a 160-metre highline strung between the Koreana and the Dong-A Media Center, a few hundred metres from Gyeongbokgung palace and Gwanghwamun square, according to The Guardian. Organizers called it South Korea's first high-altitude slackline performance.

What exact route did Roose walk?

The line ran above central Seoul's main boulevard, a corridor usually filled with lunchtime foot traffic rather than aerial athletes. A countdown clock on a large public screen marked the final seconds before Roose began his crossing, the Guardian reported. Partway across, he sat down on the line, then lay flat on his back before rising to continue — a pause that drew audible gasps from the crowd below, per the Guardian's account from Seoul.

Who is Jaan Roose?

Roose has built a career slacklining dramatic urban settings. He has previously walked a line 185 metres high between Qatar's Katara towers, and has attempted crossings over Italy's Strait of Messina and above the Danube River near Bratislava, Slovakia, according to the Guardian. The Seoul walk was described by the outlet as one leg of a planned two-attempt performance over the city.

How did the crowd react?

Office workers gathered along the boulevard, phones raised toward the sky as Roose made his way across.

"Just looking at him makes my legs go weak. I can't imagine how he can do that without being scared. It's incredible," said Kim Young-sook, an office worker who watched the crossing, per the Guardian.

Another onlooker, Choi Eun-jung, told the Guardian she found the spectacle unsettling despite Roose's experience. "I'm worried he might fall," she said. "I know he's a professional, but it's still a little frightening to watch."

Why does the Gyeongbokgung palace location matter?

The stunt took place within view of one of Seoul's most recognized landmarks, placing a modern extreme-sports spectacle against a backdrop of traditional Korean architecture and government buildings. Traffic continued to move beneath the line throughout the attempt, the Guardian reported, with the crowd's attention split between the roadway and the athlete overhead.

What happens on the return crossing?

After reaching the Dong-A Media Center, Roose turned and began making his way back toward the Koreana hotel rooftop, pausing again partway through the return leg, according to the Guardian's live account of the event. The outlet's report captured the first of the two planned attempts; details of the full return crossing were still developing as the Guardian's coverage was filed.

The Guardian's original reporting, including video of the crossing, is available at theguardian.com.