Around the world, huge crowds usually gather to count down to midnight and welcome in the New Year.
In South Korea one of the most popular events on New Year s Day is to watch the first sunrise along the east coast.
One year ago, Ganjeolgot Beach in the city of Ulsan attracted some 170,000 visitors for the sunrise.
However, the third wave of COVID-19 is putting a stop to large crowds welcoming in 2021. The government had already cancelled the popular midnight bell ringing ceremony in central Seoul. And health authorities this week also decided to close popular attractions during the Special Virus Prevention period, which runs from Thursday until January 3rd.
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