Tomorrow marks the start of the Chuseok holiday. With a shorter holiday period this year, the movement of people heading to and from their hometowns is expected to concentrate on specific days.
According to reports, September 24 (Thursday) is expected to see the heaviest wave of travelers heading to their hometowns, while on Chuseok Day itself, September 25 (Friday), highway traffic is projected to reach around 6.84 million vehicles. Total expected travelers over the entire holiday period are estimated at approximately 30.93 million.
KTX trains have also seen heavy advance bookings. The overall reservation rate for Chuseok train tickets stands at 84%, with the KTX reservation rate climbing as high as 92.7%. Notably, this marks the first Chuseok since the merger of Korail and SR, and as a result of the merger, KTX fares have dropped by an average of 10%.
Given this atmosphere, major train stations such as Seoul Station, Yongsan Station, and Cheongnyangni Station are expected to be packed tomorrow morning with people heading home. Indeed, reports have already emerged that major KTX trains bound for Gangneung sold out on September 24.
It’s a scene that repeats every year, yet when Chuseok arrives, train stations and highways across the country take on a distinctly different look. Countless people head to train stations carrying gift bags and suitcases, while KTX trains depart Seoul bound for hometowns across the nation. Some travel far to see their parents; others, to finally gather with family after a long time apart. So the “Great Migration” of Chuseok isn’t simply a rise in traffic volume — it’s a time when people move in order to be with family.
But watching this scene unfold, a thought comes to mind. While everyone heads toward home, what about those who cannot make that journey? There are immigrants living in Korea, people who have left their hometowns to work or study in unfamiliar places, and others who, for various reasons, won’t be able to see their families this holiday. For some, Chuseok is a long-awaited holiday; for others, it may be a time that makes them miss family and home even more.
So this Chuseok, I hope there will be room not only for the footsteps of those heading home, but also for looking after the people who remain around us. Offering a warm greeting to a nearby neighbor, inviting someone spending the holiday alone to share a meal, showing a little care to those experiencing Chuseok in an unfamiliar place — these don’t need to be grand gestures to matter.
Chuseok is a day for returning home, but I hope it can also be a day for looking after the people close to us.
The great migration begins tomorrow morning. I hope everyone arrives home safely and spends warm time with family. And for those spending Chuseok in Korea, away from their own hometowns, I hope this holiday brings a little less loneliness and a little more warmth.