Seoul holds the Bosingak bell-ringing ceremony at midnight on New Year's Eve.
Bosingak is a historic bell pavilion in Jongno, central Seoul. During the annual ceremony, the large bell is struck 33 times as the city welcomes the new year. The event is a major public gathering and is frequently accompanied by performances, speeches, and a countdown broadcast to audiences across South Korea.
The number 33 reflects an older Buddhist association with the thirty-three heavens. Bosingak's bell also has a historical civic role: it was used in the past to signal the opening and closing of Seoul's city gates. The modern New Year's ceremony is therefore both a contemporary celebration and a reminder of the capital's traditional timekeeping history.