An apartment village in Songpa-gu, Seoul, near the Lotte World Tower, is littered with paper shot off the tower during the New Year countdown. / Yonhap.



By Ko Dong-hwan





Lotte World Tower launches fireworks in an event to welcome 2018. / Yonhap

Lotte World Tower's New Year "paper snowstorm" on its neighborhood has caused a flood of protests.



A part of the New Year countdown, 2.5 tons of confetti was shot into the air as the skyscraper launched 13,000 bundles of fireworks over 10 minutes from midnight. The paper covered streets, parking lots and cars in the vicinity.



Most of the paper fell over Jamsil-dong in Songpa-gu. Areas affected included a high-rise residential apartment village, Seokchon Lake Park and commercial districts with Lotte Department Store, Lotte World theme park and other buildings. Some of the paper reached areas as far as 10 kilometers away, according to reports.



Apartment village residents criticized the event and the Songpa-gu office said it was inundated with complaints. Cleaners were sent to clear the areas while security personnel at the apartment village swept up the mess there.



An online news outlet dubbed the tower "the icon of public harm."



