Seoul invites 12 extraordinary people to annual Bosingak bell-ringing event

Social Affairs

Published: 26 Dec. 2023, 13:48 Updated: 26 Dec. 2023, 18:40

Seoul invites 12 extraordinary people to annual Bosingak bell-ringing event

Seoul will turn the annual New Year's Eve bell-ringing ceremony at Bonsingak Pavilion in the city's Jongno District into a foreigner-friendly event. This picture shows the 2023 annual New Year's Eve bell-ringing ceremony. [YONHAP]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced its guest list of 18 people for the annual New Year's Eve bell-ringing ceremony at Bonsingak Pavilion in the city's Jongno District.

Among the 18 bell ringers, 12 are people recognized for their extraordinary achievements, and six are international social media influencers.

The list includes Yoon Do-il, 18, who helped others despite his own life being in danger when there was a random knife attack at Seohyeon Station in Gyeonggi.

Kim Min-young, who saved a fainted older adult and paid their medical expenses, Kim Jeong-ja, the oldest taker of the College Scholastic Aptitude Test this year at 82, and Baik Nam-moon, who runs a free-of-charge wedding venue for underprivileged couples are also among the invited.

The wife of a cardiothoracic surgeon who died in a car accident in June and Korea's first foreign national train conductor, Albiol Andres, will be attending as bell-ringers as well.

Crowds celebrate the arrival of the new year in front of the Bosingak Pavilion in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Jan. 1, at the annual Bosingak bell-ringing ceremony. [YONHAP]

Seoul Business Agency invited six international social media influencers to attend the ceremony.

Six social media influencers include Jang Elina, a naturalized Korean citizen from Uzbekistan with more than 13 million followers on TikTok. Other influencers are from India, Vietnam, the United States, the Philippines and Kazakhstan.

The city will host light shows until late January.

People can enjoy the shows at Gwanghwamun Square, Songhyeon Green Plaza and the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul.

A dragon-themed light exhibition is on display at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. [SEOUL TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

To mark the year of the Dragon, the city will install dragon-shaped art pieces across the capital.

"Through this set of city events, Seoul can leap to become a global city known for festivals," Choi Kyung-Ju, head of the city's culture headquarters, said.

BY NA UN-CHAE, LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]