Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
Selection of civil representatives for bell-tolling ceremony begins
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, first from left, and people selected to represent the public participate in last year's New Year's Eve bell-tolling ceremony at Bosingak in Jongno District. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Jung Da-hyun
The Seoul Metropolitan Government, Monday, will accept public recommendations for representatives from among the public who will take part in the upcoming New Year's Eve bell-tolling ceremony.
According to the city government, the recommendation process will be open until Dec. 8, the first time in four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tradition of the bell-tolling event dates back to 1953 and stands as one of Korea's prominent New Year's celebrations. Since 2005, representatives have been chosen through online public recommendations so as to enhance public interest and engagement.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, events were scaled back to prevent the spread of the virus. Since then, the city government autonomously selected citizens as representatives without seeking public recommendations.
This year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to select six civil representatives through a screening process from the recommended candidates. These selected individuals will then participate in a total of 33 bell-tolls at Bosingak in Jongno District on Dec. 31, wrapping up this year and ushering in the new year.
Recommended citizens should be those who have overcome adversity, quietly influenced society, practiced sharing and service in challenging circumstances, inspired hope and courage through their work in various societal fields or enhanced national prestige on the international stage, according to the Seoul Metro Government.
In the past, notable representatives have included individuals such as Lee Guk-jong, a professor at Ajou University Hospital's Severe Trauma Center, and Lee Soo-jung, a forensic psychology professor at Kyonggi University.
In 2019, even the popular penguin character Pengsoo from the YouTube channel "Giant Peng TV" participated in the ceremony, gaining immense popularity.
Last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government selected Choi Young-jin, who was recognized for reducing risk factors due to heavy rain during the monsoon season by clearing obstacles and drilling drains, without public recommendation.
Members of the public interested in recommending a candidate for the bell-tolling ceremony can submit their suggestions, along with the reasons for the recommendation, on the Seoul Metropolitan Government's official website.