About 100,000 people expected to gather for New Year's Eve ceremony in central Seoul

On Sunday, the last day of 2023, the streets of Myeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul are crowded with people. (Yonhap)

This year's bell-tolling ceremony on New Year's Eve in central Seoul will feature various performances and is expected to draw a crowd of about 100,000 people, city officials said Sunday.

The popular midnight bell-ringing celebration at the Bosingak Pavilion in central Seoul on Dec. 31 has been held every year since 1953 to ring in the new year, though public attendance was prohibited during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year's event will start off at 11 p.m. at Bosingak Pavilion, featuring various performances and a parade featuring traditional Korean plays along a 400-meter section of the street running from Bosingak, according to the city officials.

The bell-ringing ceremony at midnight will be immediately followed by the rise of the "Midnight Sun," a 12-meter-radius artifact symbolizing the new year, on the nearby Sejong-daero, a boulevard in central Seoul.

A subsequent K-pop concert on a stage, to be set up on Sejong-daero, will celebrate the start of the new year with performances by popular K-pop bands, including Enhypen, The Boyz and Oh My Girl.

The event will be livestreamed on the city's YouTube channel.

New Year’s bell ringing ceremony at Bosingak (Yonhap's file photo)

The city will also deploy some 1,100 safety and traffic guards, while the police will deploy some 2,490 officers to ensure public safety. This year's event is expected to draw a crowd of some 100,000 -- double the size of last year.

The city plans for the subway to pass Jonggak Station near the Bosingak Pavilion without stopping from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. the next day as part of crowd control measures.

It said buses and the subway will operate until 2 a.m. for visitors to return home. (Yonhap)