By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Roads around Bosingak close from 6pmThursday 31 December 2026
- The bell is struck 33 times at midnightFriday 1 January 2027
- Where
- Bosingak
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- December to January
- Dates
- Around the same dates every year
Fixed to 31 December. Seoul Metropolitan Government publishes the programme, the bell ringers and the transport changes in the last week of December. At the last edition the programme ran from 11pm to 12:20am, roads around Bosingak were closed from 6pm to 7am, trains ran through Jonggak station without stopping from 11pm to 1am, and the subway ran late, with the last trains reaching the ends of the lines at 2am.
At midnight on New Year’s Eve the bell in the Bosingak pavilion on Jongno is struck 33 times by ringers the city has chosen, and tens of thousands of people fill the closed streets around it to count down. It is free, it is cold and the ringing itself is over in minutes. What needs planning is the journey: the station beside the pavilion stops taking passengers before midnight, and the way home is the late-running subway, which rewards anyone who sets off soon after the last strike.
What Bosingak Bell actually is
Bosingak is the bell pavilion at the centre of the old walled city. Under the Joseon kings its bell kept the hours of the capital, ringing to open the four main gates in the morning and to close them at night, when the curfew began. The bell that hangs there now is a modern replica; the original is in the National Museum of Korea.
The New Year ringing keeps the old dawn count of 33, the strikes that once lifted the curfew, and it has been a Seoul tradition since 1953, interrupted only in the pandemic years. The ringers are picked in advance, mostly citizens whose stories the city wants to honour alongside a few familiar faces, and the evening around them is built from music, lights and a countdown on the street.
Where to watch Bosingak Bell
- On Jongno, in front of the pavilion. The road is closed to traffic from the early evening and becomes the main standing area, and the places with a clear view of the bell are taken long before eleven.
- Further west, towards Gwanghwamun. The crowd stretches along Jongno, and recent editions have put stages and screens on the road towards Sejong-daero, so you can follow the count without being pressed against the barriers at the front.
- At home, or on a hill the next morning. The ceremony is broadcast live and streamed by the city, and plenty of Seoul residents watch it from the sofa and save their energy for the first sunrise of the year, seen from Namsan or one of the hills on the edge of the city.
Tickets and what it costs
There is nothing to book and nothing to pay. The one thing to read before the night is the city’s own announcement, published in the last days of December, which sets out that year’s programme, the road closures and the late trains.
Official information and booking: mediahub.seoul.go.kr/archives/2016628
Getting there
Do not plan on Jonggak station. It sits right beside Bosingak on Line 1, and on the night trains pass through it without stopping from an hour before midnight until an hour after. Gwanghwamun on Line 5, City Hall and Euljiro 1-ga on Line 2, and Jongno 3-ga are all a short walk away.
Buses that normally run along Jongno are diverted for the whole evening, and the roads stay shut until the morning. The subway is the way back: Seoul has run its lines late on recent New Year’s Eves, with the last trains reaching the ends of the lines at about two in the morning, and that is the limit to plan around.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Dressing for an evening out
You will stand still outdoors for an hour or more at the start of Seoul’s coldest season, usually below freezing and often with a wind along Jongno. Wear a proper coat, a hat and gloves, and buy hand warmers at a convenience store on the way.
Heading for Jonggak station
It is the obvious stop and the one that is shut around midnight. Get off a station or two away and walk in.
Arriving at a quarter to midnight
By then the stretch with a view of the bell is full and staff are holding the crowd back. Come by about ten if you want to see the bell itself rather than a screen.
Lingering after the last strike
Everyone leaves at once, and the late trains are the only easy way home. Start walking to a station soon after the bell, ideally one away from Jongno.
Counting on a car or a taxi
The roads around Bosingak are closed from the early evening until the next morning, and taxis are scarce in the hours after midnight. Leave the car behind and use the subway both ways.
Other Seoul events
Frequently asked questions
What time is the Bosingak bell rung?
At midnight on New Year’s Eve, 33 times. The programme around it begins at about eleven with performances and a countdown, and a short show follows the bell; this edition’s date heads the page.
Is the New Year’s Eve bell ceremony in Seoul free?
Yes. There are no tickets and no registration to watch. The ringers themselves are selected by the city ahead of the night.
Which station should I use for Bosingak on New Year’s Eve?
Not Jonggak, where trains pass through without stopping around midnight. Gwanghwamun, City Hall, Euljiro 1-ga and Jongno 3-ga are each a short walk from the pavilion.
How do I get home after the bell?
By subway. Seoul has run its lines late on the night, with the last trains reaching the ends of the lines at about two in the morning, while buses along Jongno stay diverted until the morning and taxis are hard to find.
Why is the bell struck 33 times?
The count comes from the Joseon capital, when the bell was struck 33 times before dawn to lift the night curfew and open the city gates. The New Year ringing keeps that number.
Sources
- Seoul Metropolitan Government media hub, the last edition’s programme and transport
- Korea JoongAng Daily, the history of the ringing
- Seoul TOPIS, live traffic and road closures
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2028. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.