Submitted by Gyubin Lee
There are several ways Koreans celebrate the arrival of the New Year. Seoul is home to Bosingak, a landmark in Jongno-gu famous for its festive atmosphere this time of year, and that’s where this recording was made.
Each December 31, this place gets crowded with people who travel from all parts of the country to celebrate together. It’s always frigid, but people don’t seem to mind the weather when they’re all gathered to celebrate. As midnight approaches, people get more and more excited for the last moments of the year. Then the countdown begins, and everyone joins in by shouting out in unison. At the stroke of midnight, you hear a roar as everyone starts shouting out greetings to usher in 2021.
