Korea Rings In 2025 Completely Differently—Hoping For A Better Year Ahead

Around the world, people are ringing in the New Year with vibrant celebrations. But for South Korea, things are looking a bit different.

hq720 — Sydney, Australia ringing in the New Year. | *@AFP/YouTube*

Traditionally, Seoul also puts together an exciting show—featuring the year’s most influential people (as nominated) ringing the Bosingak bell 33 times, starting at 12:00 AM on January 1 of the New Year. Often, performances and fireworks are involved as Korean citizens cheer on site and at home.

For 2025, however, Seoul watched in silence, with their hearts broken, as the bell rang “into the darkness.”

Seoul is silent. There are no cheers to celebrate the coming of a new year. It is solemn. The bosingak bell rings into the darkness, in remembrance, to mourn the victims who lost their lives in the tragic plane crash and to wish their souls find ease pic.twitter.com/ubm8bDEh2S

— Joseph Kim (@josungkim) December 31, 2024

In accordance with the week-long national mourning period declared by the current Acting President Choi Sang Mok, following the tragic Jeju Air plane crash that took 179 lives at Muan International Airport, most events got scaled down, postponed, or canceled.

news-p.v1.20241229.4743aa61ea6a41878c519c41bd43ab5a_P1 — South Korean Acting President Choi Sang Mok (left) an emergency safety meeting. | *Korea Herald*

As of December 31, 2024 (KST), the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced that the “New Year’s Eve Bell-Ringing Ceremony” will “focus on the bell-ringing itself, while other performances are canceled.”

Screenshot 2024-12-31 at 1.46.09 PM — | *seoul.go.kr*

And so, citizens of Seoul—and those in most cities around Korea—welcomed 2025 with heavy hearts, hoping for a better year ahead. Those attending the event observed a moment of silence, mourning and remembering the victims lost in the plane crash.