Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus epidemic, the New Year’s bell ringing ceremony originally scheduled for December 31 in Guanghua Menpu Xinge will be cancelled. Yonhap reported on the 6th that this was the first time in 67 years that the event had been cancelled.
In response, the Seoul Municipal Government explained that in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic and fully consider the safety of citizens, this year’s bell ringing ceremony will be held online. Seoul plans to upload the video of the New Year’s bell ringing ceremony recorded in advance at 00: 00 on January 1 next year. At present, the municipal government is discussing specific matters.
According to the report, although the bell ringing ceremony has been cancelled, the Seoul municipal government is stepping up the formulation of relevant countermeasures considering that there may still be a “New Year’s Eve” gathering around Guanghua Gate.
According to people familiar with the matter, Seoul will not repeal the “ban on gatherings in the Guanghuamen area” that is still in force, and said that “this rule will continue in late 2020 and early 2021”.
According to South Korea’s National Daily, since 1953, every year at 24:00 on December 31, Puxinge has held a New Year’s bell-ringing ceremony, and invited the mayor of Seoul, the Speaker of the Seoul City Council and other government officials and citizens’ representatives to participate.
