Huge crowds in downtown Seoul waiting for the great bell-ringing.
But there's another place we want to check in on... located in a very significant location of its own.
That's Imjingak, the closest civilians in the South can get to the inter-Korean border.

Yes. And as the people and the world await what's to come in 2019 in regards to North Korea abandoning its nuclear ambitions,... we go back to our Kan Hyeong-woo standing by braving the cold for us.
Hyeong-woo, we are inching towards the New Year. Does being so close to the North feel any different?

Well, not so much,... but here at the Imjingak Resort, only 7 kilometers south of the Military Demarcation Line separating the two Koreas, the air is full of hope for peace and harmony with a series of inter-Korean summits taking place this year.

According to Gyeonggi-do Province, about ten-thousand people have gathered here to celebrate and welcome the start of 2019,... which is the most visitors this place has seen at the same time in a while.

The Imjingak Resort was already one of the most famous tourist attractions related to the Korean War, not only for Koreans, but also for foreign visitors. But after the historic Panmunjeom summit back in April, the number of visitors nearly tripled.

The resort is a symbol of hope for the reunification of the two Koreas, and it could see even more visitors next year as Seoul and Pyeongyang continue to work together to achieve lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

I can see the joy and excitement on people's faces here as they wait for the countdown, which will begin in about five minutes. Many of them are wearing LED headbands and holding placards.
On one side they say, "New Gyeonggi, new beginning" and on the other side, "if you smile, happiness will come."

When the clock hits midnight, the bell will be struck and the fireworks will light up the sky to celebrate the start of a new year. I will make sure to bring you all of the spectacular scenes from here in a bit,... so see you next year.