Seoul offers a great experience on New Year's Eve despite the cancellation of many events due to the pandemic. The following three spots are among my personal favorites.
Bell-ringing ceremony at Boshingak
One of the biggest New Year's Eve events in Seoul is the annual bell-ringing here that starts at 11 p.m. and ends around 1 a.m., with the mayor and a crowd of around 100,000 attending. At midnight on New Year's Day, the bell is rung 33 times to greet the new year.
Because of COVID-19, this year's event will be largely scaled down and aired on Korean TV and the city government's SNS from 11:30 p.m.
Fireworks at Lotte World Tower
The world's fifth tallest building stands 123 stories and 555 meters high with an incredible 360-degree view of Seoul. On New Year's Eve, a fireworks display is traditionally held at Lotte World Tower but the pandemic means no fireworks this year.
Achasan Sunrise Festival
Achasan Mountain is a popular spot for tourists and residents of Seoul's Gwangjin-gu District. Seoulites prefer to visit the mountain on New Year's Eve to see the first sunrise of the new year and gain positive energy through a spectacular view of the capital. The festival was the city's first sunrise event and began in 2000. Because of the coronavirus, however, many sunrise events on New Year's Day have been canceled across Korea, including this one.
*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.
