Bosingak Pavilion in Seoul undergoes preparations, Monday, for a bell-tolling event scheduled for Tuesday night to welcome the New Year. However, the event will take place without parades and performances to respectfully mourn the fatal airplane crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, Sunday. Yonhap

Korea will mark the New Year in a somber manner following the deadly airplane crash at Muan International Airport on Sunday, which claimed 179 lives and prompted the government to declare a national mourning period.

Popular areas across Seoul had planned countdowns and concerts to mark the turn of the year, but these events have been canceled in line with the government's decision to proclaim a period of mourning nationwide until Saturday.

The Jung District Office in Seoul planned to host a countdown event at a public square in front of Shinsegae Department Store's main branch in Myeong-dong. A giant media facade covering the department store's outside was going to be a centerpiece for "2025 Countdown Show Light Now" starting at 11 p.m. Public broadcaster KBS was going to air the show live.

However, the district office confirmed Monday that it has decided to cancel the show.

Lotte World Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the country, planned to jointly host a countdown event with TV K-pop music show "Wannabe" on MBC.

The broadcaster, however, has retracted the end-of-year special show on Monday. MBC's decision came after it began pre-recording bands' performances earlier this month. The K-pop acts that took time to join the pre-recording that continued until Monday morning include New Jeans, Aespa and Ateez.

A Lotte World Tower official said that instead of the countdown show, Lotte Group's symbolic office will start lighting the top of its 555-meter-high structure with white light to express condolences to the victims of the accident. The lighting of the tower begins on Monday at 5:30 p.m. and continues until 10 p.m. every day during the official condolence period.

Officials of the Dong District Office in Daegu remove street posters promoting a New Year event in the city, Monday, following the fatal airplane crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, Sunday. Yonhap

Lotte Group has also canceled the "Happy New Year Electric Party" at its theme park, Lotte World Adventure, in Seoul.

The park said it will offer refunds to those who had purchased tickets for the event. Lotte World Adventure Busan also confirmed on Monday that it will not host parades and other performances during the mourning period.

MBC canceled the airing of the MBC Entertainment Awards. The broadcaster also decided to air a pre-recorded version of the MBC Drama Awards, which was initially set to be broadcast live on Monday evening.

Hyundai Cruise, meanwhile, has drawn criticism for not canceling a cruise program on the Han River in Seoul on the night of the accident. The company commenced the pre-booked cruise featuring fireworks at 6:30 p.m., although it had received a request from the Seoul Metropolitan Government to cancel it hours before.

The city authority said it will lodge a penalty against the company.

The company's CEO, Kim Jin-man, on Monday posted on its homepage a statement apologizing for not canceling the event on Sunday night.

"We received a call from the city government but we rejected it. It was before the central government proclaimed the period of condolence," Kim said. "It was impossible for us to cancel the event that day. Some 200 passengers, including children from multicultural families and members of social volunteer groups, were invited to board the cruise."