Seoul City Rings 'Jeya's Bell' for the First Time in 3 Years... Joint Safety Measures by Police and Fire Department

Over 100,000 People Expected to Gather
Joint Measures by Seoul City, Districts, Police, and Fire Department

'New Year's Eve Bell Ringing Ceremony'/Photo by Jang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Seoul City announced on the 25th that it will hold the ‘2022 New Year’s Eve Bell Ringing Ceremony’ at Bosingak in Jongno on the night of the 31st. This is the first in-person event in three years since the ceremony was replaced by an online bell-ringing event due to the spread of COVID-19.

Seoul City has established a joint safety management plan with related organizations including Jongno-gu, the police, and fire departments, anticipating a crowd of more than 100,000 people near Bosingak on that day.

From 9:00 PM on the 31st until 1:30 AM the next day, all roads around Bosingak will be completely closed, and from 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM the next day, Line 1’s Jonggak Station will be passed without stopping. Six nearby subway stations including Jonggak Station and Gwanghwamun Station will have more than five times the usual number of safety personnel (a total of 104). To reduce inconvenience for citizens returning home after the event, public transportation will operate until 2:00 AM.

Eleven booths including a ‘Joint Situation Room’ will be set up around Bosingak, and a total of 957 safety personnel will be deployed jointly by Seoul City, Jongno-gu, Seoul Metro, and Seoul Facilities Corporation to manage safety. This is a 60% increase compared to 597 personnel in 2019 (additional police and fire personnel will be deployed separately). Nine ambulances will be stationed near the event site, including Jongno Tower, to respond quickly to emergencies.

To provide warmth in the cold weather, four ‘Cold Wave Shelters’ equipped with heaters will be operated at locations including in front of Jeil Bank, next to Youngpoong Bookstore (2 locations), and in front of Jongno Tower. Medical staff will be stationed at medical spaces adjacent to the shelters to assist citizens showing symptoms of hypothermia or other health issues.

Seoul City emphasized the need for citizens’ voluntary order maintenance given the expected large crowds, urging visitors to bring winter items such as scarves and gloves to prepare for the cold and to refrain from carrying fireworks or other hazardous items that could threaten public safety.

To reduce inconvenience for citizens returning home due to traffic control, public transportation will be extended until 2:00 AM. A total of 104 safety personnel will be deployed to six nearby stations including Jonggak Station to specially manage crowd-related accident prevention.

From 12:00 PM on the 31st until 8:00 AM the next day, public bicycles (Ddareungi) and personal mobility device rentals and returns will be temporarily suspended around Bosingak. Related information such as temporary suspension times can be checked on the Ddareungi and personal mobility device operation apps. Additionally, to prevent road congestion, special crackdowns and administrative actions on illegal parking and stopping will be conducted from 6:00 PM on the event day until 1:00 AM the next day. Citizens using private cars are advised to check nearby parking information in advance.

To prepare for emergencies, a joint field command post operated by Seoul City, police, and fire departments will be set up at Jongno Tower, activating a joint response system including hospital transport in case of emergencies. Eleven fire trucks, nine ambulances, and 103 rescue personnel will be deployed and on standby, and emergency routes accessible to ambulances will be established. Eleven booths including the ‘Joint Situation Room’ and four vehicle electronic signboards will be installed around Bosingak, with about 1,000 safety personnel deployed to prioritize citizen safety and manage the site.

A total of 957 safety personnel will be deployed at the event site, a 60% increase (360 personnel) compared to 597 in 2019. These personnel will prevent safety accidents and crack down on illegal parking, advertisements, street vendors, fireworks, and more at safety fences, alleys, transformers, stairs and elevators inside stations, and around Cheonggyecheon bridges, as well as manage traffic control and guide detours.

Seoul City, Jongno-gu, Jung-gu, and the police will jointly crack down on illegal street vendors, parking, fireworks, and other hazardous items and impose fines. In addition, Seoul City and Jongno-gu have prepared enhanced snow removal measures for the event day, including spreading de-icing agents even if snowfall is less than 1cm (previously 3cm) at locations such as Anguk-dong Intersection to Gwanggyo Intersection, Anguk Station Intersection to Cheonggye 2-ga Intersection, and Sejong-daero to Jongno 2-ga.

Juyongtae, Head of Seoul City’s Culture Headquarters, said, “We hope that the New Year’s Eve Bell Ringing Ceremony, held for the first time in three years, will be a sound that marks the end of a tumultuous year and the beginning of new hope.” He added, “While Seoul City creates the safety measures, it is the citizens who complete them. We will do our best to manage safety so that all citizens participating in the event can enjoy it safely and return home happily.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.