The sun rises over the sea off an empty Sokcho Beach on the eastern coast on Jan. 1, 2022, in this photo provided by Sokcho city. To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, authorities temporarily closed eastern beaches and mountain spots where people traditionally gather to watch the first sunrise of the New Year.
SEOUL, Jan. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — As people are getting used to the everyday life of the pandemic era, many celebrated the new year quietly at home.
With end-of-year parties and other festivities out of the picture, many chose to stay at home alone or engage in online gatherings.
A 26-year-old jobseeker surnamed Park joined friends on an online social platform to decorate New Year’s diaries and take memorable photos.
“I purchased the stickers and scratch paper to decorate my diary on the last day of 2021, setting up New Year’s resolutions,” Park said.
A 28-year-old office worker surnamed Kim spent his last day of 2021 alone at home.
“It’s not like we can go out and meet with people, so I decided to stay home and spend quality time alone,” Kim said.
As most regions in the country banned or cancelled sunrise festivals on New Year’s Day, people scrambled to watch the sunrise online.
“Unlike last year, watching the sunrise on YouTube is growing on me,” said Park Mi-kyeong, a 41-year-old homemaker. “It’s cold out there anyways. I had a good time with my children, snuggling in the warmth of our home.”
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
