An Estonian aerial athlete and three-time slackline world champion stepped off the roof of the Koreana Hotel in central Seoul on Thursday to navigate a 160-metre ribbon suspended 120 metres above the city. Jaan Roose, 34, completed what organisers described as South Korea's first high-altitude slackline performance, drawing crowds of office workers and onlookers who watched from the streets below as he traversed the line between the Koreana and the Dong-A Media Center, near the capital's famous Gyeongbokgung palace.
At 1pm, a countdown on a large screen reached zero, and Roose began his crossing. The lunchtime crowds along central Seoul's main boulevard paused their return to offices, phones and heads raised skyward to track his progress. Below, traffic continued uninterrupted as the figure moved steadily across the narrow ribbon suspended high above the city.
Roose has built a reputation for slacklining in dramatic urban settings. In 2024, he became the first person to cross a highline between mainland Italy and Sicily, completing the 3.6-kilometre traverse despite a fall near the end, which his safety harness caught. Last month, he covered 14.7 kilometres over 12 hours on a line above the Danube in Bratislava, Slovakia. His 185-metre high feat in another urban environment further cemented his status as one of the world's most accomplished slackliners.
The event was sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and hosted by Red Bull Korea. According to Seoul city officials, the line's absolute height was specified as 120 metres at one end and 116 metres at the other, creating a slight incline across the crossing.
How did spectators react?
Onlookers expressed a mixture of awe and anxiety as Roose moved across the line. Kim Young-sook, an office worker, said:
Just looking at him makes my legs go weak. I can't imagine how he can do that without being scared. It's incredible.
Midway across, Roose sat cross-legged on the line, then lay flat on his back, drawing gasps from the crowd below. Choi Eun-jung, who came to watch the performance, expressed concern despite recognising Roose's expertise:
I'm worried he might fall. I know he's a professional, but it's still a little frightening to watch.
On reaching the Dong-A Media Center, Roose turned around and began his return journey to the hotel rooftop. At the halfway point of his return crossing, he dropped down and waved at the crowd. This time he hung from the line with one arm and then dangled by his feet, prompting further reactions from below. When he completed his performance, the crowds applauded, with some visibly relieved.
What is the connection to Korean tradition?
Roose's visit to Seoul was inspired by a 2022 trip that introduced him to jultagi, Korea's traditional tightrope walking. During that earlier visit, he encountered the art form, which UNESCO added to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2011. Unlike tightrope walking in other cultures, jultagi combines acrobatics with comedy and performance art. The walker sings, jokes and dances on the rope, trading banter with a clown on the ground while musicians provide accompaniment. This blend of athleticism and entertainment distinguishes the Korean tradition from other forms of rope walking worldwide.
What happened after the first crossing?
At nearby Cheonggye plaza, members of the public were invited to try their own skills on slacklines, though these were positioned at a mere 30 centimetres and 50 centimetres off the ground—a stark contrast to Roose's aerial feat. Roose was scheduled to perform a second crossing at 4pm the same day, giving audiences another opportunity to witness his extraordinary abilities.
