Seoul to bring back bell-tolling event for New Year's Eve for 1st time in 3 yrs

SEOUL, Dec. 27 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul city government on Tuesday announced a list of 10 citizens who will join the city's bell-tolling ceremony on New Year's Eve, the first such in-person event in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cho Gue-sung, a member of the national football team who competed in the World Cup in Qatar, painter-actress Jung Eun-hye, and honorary ambassador of Seoul and comedian Kim Tae-kyun will be among the 10 civil representatives to join the ceremony to ring in the new year, city officials said.

The event marks the first resumption of the popular midnight bell-ringing celebration at Bosingak Pavilion in central Seoul on Dec. 31 after the event was held without an in-person audience for the past two years due to the pandemic.

To prevent overcrowding, this year's event will be held simultaneously at Bosingak, Gwanghwamun Square and the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, and broadcast online.

To reach out to a wider audience, the city will also invite 22 popular YouTubers whose combined viewership reaches 21.3 million, the officials said.

A music concert enlisting "gukak" (Korean traditional music) artists and singers will accompany the bell tolling, while the city plans to block traffic around the Bosingak area during the ceremony and extend public transportation services to help people safely return home after the event.

pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)