a couple weekend ago, mike and i went down to this stream that flows into the han river. it starts at the eungam stop off line number 6. you can rent bikes there for 1000 won (about $.80) for an hour. so we rented some bikes and went off on our way. it was warm and i had picked out probably the worst bike off the lot (wobbly front wheel, sorta flat tires, low seat etc) but mike was nice enough to swap halfway (ie he was tired of seeing me disgruntled)
the bike paths were well kept for most of the way and well utilized:
near the bend of the stream right before it empties out into the han, there was a large bridge and underneath it, were large groups of men and about a hundred bikes lined up. i was curious and got closer. koreans like to gather in spaces and create their own programming where none is being provided. there had been other informal sitting areas that had been created but this was by far the largest. there were groups of men playing baduk, a korea game similar to chess. 
also along the river, we saw several fisherman out on the water. many of them would bike to a stop and just rest their bike on a tree and walk down to the stream. the crime rates here are much lower and people seem more trusting of their fellow citizens. 
the river walk/bike path was utilized by many various users. there were casual recreation bicyclists, road bicyclists, runners, walkers, families and even these people with shopping bags that seem to be utilizing the path as there pathway between errands.
underneath one automobile bridge, we found a more formal gathering area. it was even equipped with a shoe shelf to organize the shoes. this area had a large wooden platform area on which many older men were gathered to play baduk. it was quite crowded. 
overall, this was a very successful and well used public space. it seems that most of the public space here is well used. i think much of it has to do with that many koreans living in larger cities are now located within these incredibly large impersonal apartment towers which are often located on campuses of 5-7 towers. this as well as being more of a social culture with less emphasis on private home activities (private home theatres, video games from home vs a pc bang, etc) have also brought people out. lastly, there is less dictating of public spaces. people can create their own picnic areas under bridges, or get some beers and cup of noodles from a convenience store and eat it in a parking lot. this freedom to utilize public spaces as best fit i believe also encourages more citizens to utilize public space.
