Happy New Year′s event featuring J-Hope

Happy New Year's event featuring J-Hope: K-POP / 연합뉴스 / 2023-01-02 10:30:56

▲This photo captured from the official webpage of Times Square show the clock striking New Year. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲This photo captured from the official instagram of J-Hope show him performing at Times Square. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲This photo captured from ABC's 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve' show TXT performing at Disneyland at Los Angeles. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL January 2 (Yonhap) -- New Year’s celebration held in New York, United States known throughout the world has fully returned in size after three years of struggle due to Covid-19. Number of K-pop artists took the stage and showcased the raised status of the genre throughout the celebratory event.

Crystal Ball drop event often held annually on December 31 to celebrate the coming of new year at Times Square of New York, United States which was restricted due to the wide spread of Covid-19 for the past two years, have returned as the regulations regarding the were deregulated.

On the last day of 2022, on December 31, despite of the fog and sprinkle of rain, over a million of people have gathered up to enjoy and have fun at the most well known event New Year event.

The weather, which has cleared up since the blizzard that had struck over United States during the Christmas Holliday recorded over 10 degrees was a great news for the visitors.

Number of visitors who were lining up to get a good spot filled up Times Square since the early evening. As the rain drops thickened starting at 8 p.m. visitors started to pull out raincoats and umbrellas and kept their stances and waited until the event started.

NYPD restricted traffics within midtown and set up security points checking all the belongings of those who visited the scene for security purposes, however, there was no precaution set regarding COVID 19.

In 2020, when the pandemic first hit the world, doctors, nurses, and those who work at the first line of defense were invited exclusively to the event. However, the ball drop event held in 2021, set a maximum of 150 thousand visitors with vaccinated certificate and mask.

To celebrate the countdown to year 2023, two of the K-pop artists have been invited to perform at the scene.

America’s well known TV program by ABC, “Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve” featured K-pop superstar BTS’ J-Hope in three years since the group was featured on the show three years ago.

With the introduction by the host of Ryan Seacrest introduction of J-HOPE as the first solo artist from BTS to top the Billboard’s “HOT 100” chart J-HOPE took the stage at Times Square performed, “=,” “Chicken Noodle Soup,” “Butter” and received wild reaction from new yorkers.

Number of fans waved their green glow sticks, or put up signs stating “We Love You” written in Korean, welcoming the artist’s visit to New York as a solo artist instead of as the member of K-pop superstar BTS.

This will be the third time that any South Korean artist has ever been on the stage of the new year’s event at Times Square, New York since Psy in 2012, BTS in 2019.

Following the lead of J-HOPE K-pop boy group Tomorrow x Together took the stage at the Disneyland located in Los Angeles, receiving love from their fans. The celebratory event is showcased live stages located in various locations evenly spread out throughout United States.

Various media within United States featured number of top tear artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Ellie Goulding, Usher, Duran Duran, Ava Max, and more

As the performance ended, the countdown to 2023 started with 60 seconds left on the clock.

As the 5.4t crystal ball with the diameter of 3.7m dropped slowly down from the top of the “One Times Square” to the screen the crowd went wild.

When the crystal ball filled with over 2600 of the triangular crystal panel, and 32thousand of the LED hit the screen billboard showcasing the year 2022, has switched into 2023, and over 1t of colored papers filled the air.

Crowd which kicked off their 2023 at the Times Square event shouted Happy New Year while hugging or kissing their loved ones, as Frank Sinatra’s “New York New York” and “Auld Lang Syne’ played throughout the area.