New Year's Eve Bell ringing ceremony to take place in Jongno amid national mourning

[Anchor]

It may not feel real, but today (12.31) is the last day of the year.

The New Year's Eve bell-ringing ceremony is taking place at Bosingak in Jongno, Seoul.

Reporter Park Min-kyung is at Bosingak.

Park, since this is a national mourning period, the atmosphere there is quite different from previous years, right?

[Report]

Yes, this place has usually welcomed the New Year with a festive atmosphere every last day of the year, but this year feels a bit different.

Due to the ongoing sadness and shock from the Jeju Air disaster, the citizens who have come here are preparing to welcome the New Year in a relatively calm atmosphere.

The citizens expressed their hopes for everyone to stay safe in the New Year.

Let's hear directly from them.

[Kim Hyun-woo/Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul: "I felt an indescribable sense of devastation upon hearing the news of the disaster, and I believe such an event should never happen again."]

[Choi Na-rin/Gangbuk-gu, Seoul: "I hope that in 2025, incidents and accidents will decrease significantly, and that it will be a smoother year than this one."]

Tonight's bell-ringing ceremony will feature fewer major events than originally planned, including the cancellation of pre-show performances.

The countdown event to mark the start of 2025 will proceed without the originally planned light show, and will instead be held silently, featuring only a video.

The bell-ringing ceremony will be conducted solemnly with only private individuals in attendance, embodying a sense of mourning.

Not far from here, at Gwanghwamun, the 'Seoul Light Gwanghwamun' event is showcasing media art works, and messages of mourning are being displayed here as well.

In front of Seoul City Hall, a joint incense altar has been set up to honor the victims of the plane disaster, and a memorial procession is ongoing.

The incense altar will be open for five days, from today until January 4, when the national mourning period ends.

This has been Park Min-kyung from Bosingak for KBS News.