Sunrise Festival Revived After 3 Years... Full Effort on Crowd Control Measures

On the morning of December 22, 2020, tourists are enjoying the sunrise at a beach in Gangneung-si, Gangwon, a famous sunrise spot on the East Coast. Photo by Yonhap News

With the lifting of COVID-19 social distancing measures, sunrise viewing events are set to be held in most regions nationwide for the first time in three years. As large crowds are expected to gather for New Year's countdowns and sunrise viewings, local governments have begun preparing safety management plans.

Ulsan's Ulju-gun will host a sunrise viewing event at Ganjeolgot, where the sun rises first on the Korean Peninsula mainland (7:31 AM). The event will feature movie screenings and wish pouches, and warm rice cake soup and beverages will be provided on New Year's Day. Gangneung City in Gangwon Province will hold sunset and sunrise events at Gyeongpo Beach and Jeongdongjin Sandglass Park, representative sunrise spots on the East Coast, along with New Year's countdowns and fireworks displays.

In Taean, Chungnam Province, a sunset event will be held on December 31 at Ggotji Beach, followed by sunrise events on January 1 at Baekhwasan in Taean-eup and Yeonpo in Geunheung-myeon. Various activities such as kite flying, postcard writing, and fireworks will take place at Ggotji Beach, while visitors can enjoy a ship parade at Yeonpo Beach.

Namhae-gun in Gyeongnam Province will hold sunrise events and the Mulmegi Festival on December 31 and January 1. Tongyeong City in Gyeongnam will host a sunrise event at Yi Sun-sin Park at 6 AM on New Year's Day. Buan-gun in Jeonbuk Province will hold an event at Byeonsan Beach, and Mokpo City in Jeonnam Province has created a 'Black Rabbit Photo Zone' at Yudal Park to celebrate the Year of the Black Rabbit in 2023.

2023 Busan New Year Countdown Poster. Photo by KNN

Following the Itaewon Halloween tragedy, awareness of the dangers of large crowds has increased, and since these events are being held for the first time in three years, local governments plan to focus all efforts on preventing accidents caused by crowd congestion.

Jeju Island will install control lines and deploy safety personnel to reduce crowd density at the summit of Hallasan or the Witseoreum Sunrise Observatory. Busan City expects around 20,000 people to gather at Haeundae Beach and will deploy safety personnel mainly around Haeundae and Gwangalli Beaches to prepare for overall safety issues including crowd congestion, fire, and traffic.

On the other hand, some places have canceled their festivals altogether. Pohang City in Gyeongbuk Province has abruptly canceled the '25th Homigot Korean Ethnic Sunrise Festival' scheduled to be held at Homigot Sunrise Square on New Year's Day, prioritizing safety over the economic revitalization effects of the festival. Haenam-gun in Jeonnam Province, the southernmost village, also canceled its sunrise event and plans to deploy safety personnel while fostering a natural viewing atmosphere.