New Year’s Eve In Seoul: The Bosingak Bell And Better Alternatives

On New Year’s Eve in Seoul, the main event is the Bosingak bell in Jongno, rung 33 times at midnight. It is listed again for 31 December 2026 in the city’s Winter Festa, it is free, and more than 100,000 people usually come. Last year the subway and buses ran until 2am. For more room, try Gwanghwamun, Myeongdong, DDP, Lotte World Tower or a first sunrise hike.

Sunbae Says: Do not plan to use Jonggak Station. Last year trains ran straight through it from 11pm to 1am. Walk in from Gwanghwamun or Jongno 3(sam)-ga instead.

Pick Your Countdown

Option	Best For	Cost	Crowd	My Take
Bosingak bell	The classic, once in a lifetime	Free	Extreme	Do it once, from the edge
Gwanghwamun Square	First timers who want the moment with room	Free	Heavy but open	My pick
Myeongdong Square	K-pop stage, screens, fireworks	Free; seated area by lottery last year	Heavy	Best for a party mood
DDP and SeoulCon	Media facade, K-pop fans	Free outside; SeoulCon tickets vary	Medium	Good if you stay in Dongdaemun
Lotte World Tower	Photos, fireworks, families	Free from outside	Medium, spread out	Best view from Seokchon Lake
First sunrise hike	Families, early risers	Free	Busy at dawn	The most Korean way to start the year

If you only pick one, go to Gwanghwamun. You get the countdown, the bell is a short walk away, and you can walk home afterwards.

How The Bosingak Bell Ceremony Works

Bosingak Pavilion sits on Jongno, the old main street of Seoul. At midnight the bell is struck 33 times, a tradition called 제야의 종 (jeyaui jong). The ringers are chosen citizens, usually volunteers and everyday heroes, plus a few public figures. Last year the city opened nominations in early November.

For the 2025 ceremony, Kyunghyang Shinmun reported (in Korean) a programme from 11pm to 12:20am: about 50 minutes of performances, 11 bell ringers including singers Sean and Yang Hee-eun, then rock band Crying Nut. Medical booths and four warming shelters were set up. The 2026 ceremony is listed in the Winter Festa programme (in Korean), with no details yet. I add them to our what’s on calendar the day they land.

Getting There And Home

This is where visitors come unstuck. Picture it: 12:25am, well below zero, and you and thousands of strangers all want the same subway entrance. Last year’s plan, per Kyunghyang Shinmun:

• Subway and city buses ran until 2am on 1 January.
• Jonggak Station (Line 1, dark blue) did not stop from 11pm on 31 December to 1am on 1 January.
• 47 bus routes were diverted from 6pm on the 31st to 7am on the 1st, with roads around the site closed.

Walking in. Take Line 5 (purple) to Gwanghwamun Station, or Line 1 (dark blue), Line 3 (orange) or Line 5 (purple) to Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station, and walk about 10 minutes to Bosingak; check Naver Map for the exit nearest your side of the barriers. A ride is 1,550 won on a transit card or covered by a short term pass; see our transit card guide and the subway map.

My rule: arrive by 10:30pm, agree a meeting point in case you get separated, and do not count on a taxi after midnight. Walk 15 minutes away from the crowd before you even open a taxi app.

Heads Up: Your phone may blare a loud Korean emergency text on New Year’s Eve. The city uses disaster texts, sirens and loudspeakers for crowd warnings at big events. Paste it into a translation app and follow it; our travel apps guide has the ones that work.

[AFFILIATE: Agoda hotels near Jongno and Gwanghwamun (walk home after midnight)]

Crowd Safety: Take It Seriously

Seoul now plans New Year’s Eve crowds carefully, and since the Itaewon crowd crush of 29 October 2022, that care is visible. For 2025 the city’s media hub (in Korean) named six high density zones: Jonggak, Gwanghwamun, DDP, Myeongdong, Namsan and Achasan. The city’s year end plan, reported by Money Today (in Korean), put every agency on emergency duty for the bell, which draws over 100,000 people a year, and switched on more than 1,000 crowd sensing CCTV cameras across the city.

Your part: stay near the edges, keep small children well away from the densest spot, and leave if the crowd stops moving. If you feel pressure from behind, move sideways, not forward. Nobody will judge you for watching from the back.

Heads Up: Police may close streets and turn some areas into one way flow without much warning. If a barrier or an officer sends you round the long way, go round the long way.

The Better Alternatives

Gwanghwamun Square. Last year the Seoul Light Gwanghwamun media show ended with a midnight countdown on the gate and nearby buildings, a short walk from Bosingak but far more open. The Gwanghwamun Market stayed open until 1am, the Seoul Plaza ice rink to 12:30am, and the lanterns on Cheonggyecheon to 1am. This year both the market and the lanterns are planned to end on 31 December, so New Year’s Eve may be their final night. Line 5 (purple), Gwanghwamun Station; Exit 9 is closest to the square. Our Seoul Christmas Market guide has the details.

Myeongdong Square. New last year, and a hit. Jung-gu district and KBS ran Myeongdong’s first big official countdown from 11pm, built around the Shinsegae main store’s giant screen, with K-pop and ballad stages in front of Shinsegae and the Seoul Central Post Office, fireworks, and the countdown on 14 screens across Myeongdong, according to Asia Economy (in Korean). It went out live on KBS 1TV and YouTube, and 1,000 free audience places were given by lottery through KBS. With Lotte’s new giant facade due in December, expect Myeongdong to go bigger. Line 4 (sky blue), Hoehyeon Station, Exit 7, or Myeong-dong Station. More in our Christmas In Seoul guide.

[SUNBAE FIELD TEST: on New Year’s Eve in Myeongdong, which side street fills last and still sees the Shinsegae screen, and how long it takes to walk out to Euljiro after midnight]

DDP and SeoulCon. Dongdaemun Design Plaza ran a media facade countdown with pyrotechnics last year, and the SeoulCon festival (in Korean), 29 December to 1 January, lists K-pop performances and a New Year countdown. Take Line 2 (green), Line 4 (sky blue) or Line 5 (purple) to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station. See our K-pop winter guide.

Lotte World Tower. To welcome 2026, the 555 m tower ran a countdown on its media facade, then lasers and fireworks, with greetings in five languages, according to Epoch Times Korea (in Korean). Watch free from the plaza or around Seokchon Lake. Line 2 (green) or Line 8 (pink) to Jamsil Station. The 2026 plans were not announced.

Or Skip Midnight And Chase The First Sunrise

Koreans take the first sunrise of the year, 해돋이 (haedoji), almost as seriously as midnight. On 1 January 2026 the sun rose over Seoul at 7:47am, per the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute figures (in Korean); expect almost the same in 2027. Achasan in eastern Seoul bills itself as the first place the sun rises in Seoul, and on 1 January 2026 Gwangjin district ran a sunrise festival there with LED light tunnels on the trail and a joint safety room with police and firefighters, reported Seoul Pn (in Korean). Take Line 5 (purple) to Achasan Station and check Naver Map for the trail entrance. Dress for well below zero; read our what to wear guide first.

What Locals Know

The bell is better on TV. In my experience, plenty of Seoulites watch the bell at home and save their energy for the dawn sunrise. The ceremony is broadcast and streamed, so staying in is a local choice, not a cop out.

Sunrise is the real crowd. Hills like Achasan and Namsan were on the city’s managed crowd list last year for a reason. Go up early, bring a hot drink, and do not expect to be alone.

New Year is two holidays. 1 January is a public holiday, but the big family new year is Seollal, the Lunar New Year, in February. Many shops and restaurants in tourist areas still open on 1 January, but check hours for anything specific. Our Korea in December guide covers the whole season.

Search the Korean name. Type 제야의 종 or 명동스퀘어 카운트다운 into Naver in late December and you will find the line up, road closures and transit notices before the English pages do.

Pick Your Version

If It’s Your First Time

Go to Gwanghwamun, not Bosingak. You get the countdown, a last look at the market and lanterns, and the bell a short walk away. I’d eat early, get to the square by 10:30pm and walk home rather than fight for the subway.

If You’re Bringing Kids

Skip midnight. For families, the first sunrise is my favourite option: early bedtime, early start, and 1 January 2027 is a Friday public holiday, so the long weekend is ahead of you. If your kids are set on staying up, watch Lotte World Tower from Seokchon Lake, where there is room to step back. Our Seoul with kids in winter guide plans the rest of the weekend.

If You’re Travelling Solo

Bosingak is worth doing once, and solo is the easiest way: one person slips to the edge far more easily than a group. I’d stay at the back on the Gwanghwamun side, keep your phone charged, and head west after the bell. More nights out in our solo in Seoul guide.

Sunbae’s Picks

My pick for a first New Year in Seoul is the Gwanghwamun countdown, then a slow walk along the lit stream.

If I only had one photo, I’d take Lotte World Tower from across Seokchon Lake at midnight: the tower, the lasers and the lake in one frame.

After two decades behind the decks in this city’s clubs, my advice is that midnight in a packed venue can be just as good as midnight outside, if you book ahead. Check the venue’s own notice for cover charges and ID rules.

I’d skip the taxi queue at 12:30am in Jongno. Walk, or ride the late subway.

[SUNBAE STORY: a short, general memory of playing a New Year’s Eve set in a Seoul club, what the room feels like at midnight, without naming venues or people]

Offers Worth Knowing

Every public countdown here is free: the bell, Gwanghwamun, Myeongdong, the DDP facade and the Lotte World Tower show from outside. Last year the city ran the subway and buses until 2am and kept the lanterns and market open until 1am. Watch for the 2026 announcement in late December.

What’s Changing In 2026

More countdowns, more screens. Myeongdong joined the countdown map last year, and this December Lotte switches on a second giant facade there. My read: that spreads the crowd. Pick the site closest to your hotel and walk home.

The festival may end on the night. The lanterns and the Gwanghwamun Market are planned to close on 31 December this year, not in January. If New Year’s Eve is your only night in town, you may catch their final evening.

Worth It Or Skip It

Option	Verdict	Best For
Bosingak bell in the crowd	Worth It once, if you like crowds	Solo travellers, couples
Gwanghwamun countdown	Worth It	First timers who want room to move
Myeongdong Square	Worth It	K-pop fans and party people
Lotte World Tower from Seokchon Lake	Worth It	Photographers, anyone staying in Jamsil
Taxi home at 12:30am from Jongno	Skip It	Walk away from the crowd first, or ride the late subway

Word Of The Stop

새해 복 많이 받으세요 (saehae bok mani badeuseyo): “Receive lots of luck in the new year.” It is the standard New Year greeting. Say it to your guesthouse owner on 1 January and watch them smile.

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Map And Directions

Frequently Asked Questions

What Time Does The Bosingak Bell Ring?

At midnight on 31 December, 33 strikes. In 2025 the programme ran from 11pm to 12:20am.

Does The Seoul Subway Run Late On New Year’s Eve?

In 2025 the subway and city buses ran until 2am on 1 January. The 2026 plan is usually announced in late December.

Is There A Fireworks Show In Seoul On New Year’s Eve?

In 2025 there were fireworks at Lotte World Tower and in Myeongdong, and pyrotechnics at DDP. The 2026 plans had not been announced as of 5 October.

Is 1 January A Holiday In Korea?

Yes. New Year’s Day is a public holiday, and in 2027 it falls on a Friday. Seollal, the Lunar New Year, is the bigger family holiday and comes in February 2027.

Next Stop

• Christmas In Seoul 2026: the week before, with the facades and markets still running.
• K-Pop In Seoul This Winter: SeoulCon, SBS Gayo Daejeon and the year end music shows.
• Seoul Lantern Festival 2026: the lit stream that may close on New Year’s Eve.

Resources

• Fun Seoul festival portal: the Winter Festa and bell ceremony listings (in Korean).
• Seoul Metro and Naver Map: late running trains, the Jonggak skip and exits on the night.
• KBS: the Myeongdong countdown broadcast and, last year, its audience lottery.
• 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: 24 hour tourist help in English and other languages.
• 112 (police) and 119 (fire and ambulance): emergencies, with interpretation available.

How I Checked This

On 5 October 2026 I checked last year’s programme, transit hours and closures in Kyunghyang Shinmun, the safety plan on Seoul’s media hub and in Money Today, the Myeongdong countdown in Asia Economy, the Lotte World Tower show in Epoch Times Korea, the sunrise time against the published institute figure, Achasan in Seoul Pn, and the 2026 listings on the Seoul festival portal. None of the 2026 New Year’s Eve details have been announced; everything here is last year’s pattern until the city publishes.

Sources

• Kyunghyang Shinmun: 2025 bell programme, transit to 2am, Jonggak non stop (Korean)
• Seoul Media Hub: New Year countdowns, safety zones, extended hours, 2025 (Korean)
• Money Today via MSN: Seoul year end crowd safety plan (Korean)
• Asia Economy via MSN: first Myeongdong Square countdown (Korean)
• Seoul Festival Portal: Winter Festa 2026 programme (Korean)
• Seoul Festival Portal: SeoulCon 2026 (Korean)
• Yonhap via MSN: lanterns and Gwanghwamun Market planned for 4 to 31 Dec 2026 (Korean)
• Epoch Times Korea: countdowns at Gwanghwamun and Jamsil (Korean)
• Economy Science: first sunrise 2026, Seoul 7:47am (Korean)
• Seoul Pn: Achasan New Year sunrise festival (Korean)
• HAPS Korea: bell ceremony, live stream and safety staff
• Public Holidays Korea: 2026 dates

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Written by your sunbae. 24 years living in Seoul, former Korean TV and radio presenter, university professor, and two decades behind the decks in the city’s clubs. Every fact here is checked against official sources and, wherever possible, on the ground.

Beep Check: verified 5 Oct 2026. Rules, prices and dates change; confirm with the official source before you travel.