People from all across the country traveled to Korea's east coast to celebrate the new year by soaking in the glory of the first sunrise of 2019.
One of the hotspots for this annual gathering is Ulsan as it's the first place on the peninsula the sun begins to shine.
Our Seo Bo-bin was there to tell us what it was like.

Another year has gone by and 2019, the year of pig has finally arrived. Many people braved the cold and waited in the pitch black through the night to see the first sunrise at Ganjeolgot on the south east of the Korean Peninsula.

The year of the pig is seen as a prosperous year, and people are even more excited as this year is special, it's the year of the "golden pig".

"2018 was full of ups and downs, but it was a wonderful year… and this year I wished for my family to be healthy and to be full of great things."

Even in the freezing weather, local residents and visitors from across the country came down to Ganjeolgot hoping for a new beginning.

Ganjeolgot in Ulsan city is one of the most popular sites to see the sunrise in Korea since it's the first place on the Korean Peninsula to see the sun rise in the New Year. As the sun's rays started to peek over the horizon at around 7:30 in the morning, people's excitement grew bigger. The moment the New Year's sun appeared, people stood facing the sea wishing upon the bright red sun that their New Year's wishes would come true.

"This year I wished for my son, my daughter and my son-in-law to be healthy and happy."

"Last year went by so quickly and I wasn't able to accomplish all the plans I had… This year I'm in my 40s and wanted a meaningful New Year… last year my family was ill, so this year I wished for a healthy start for my family."

"The sun has risen on the year of the golden pig, and those who came to Ganjeolgot started the day by making New Year's resolutions and wishes.
The golden pig is an auspicious sign, so hopefully those wishes will come true.
Seo Bo-bin, Arirang News, Ulsan."