Possible 10-day October break in South Korea fuels record travel rush

Straits Times

4 days ago

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A rare alignment of three national holidays could give South Koreans a rare 10-day stretch off.
SEOUL – A rare alignment of three national holidays, including the Chuseok autumn harvest festival, could give South Koreans a rare 10-day stretch off in October, if the government designates Oct 10, a Friday, as a temporary public holiday.
The possibility has already sent overseas travel bookings and airfares soaring, even as business groups and policymakers warn that such a move may drain money out of the local economy rather than boost it.
The government has not taken any official position on adding the extra day off. Still, travel demand has surged in anticipation.
In October, there is already a seven-day holiday from Oct 3, starting with National Foundation Day, followed by the Chuseok holiday from Oct 4 to 7, a substitute holiday on Oct 8, and Hangeul Day on Oct 9.
If Oct 10 is included, the weekend of Oct 11 to 12 would extend the break to 10 days, making it South Korea's longest public holiday since 2017.
According to local travel agency Kyowon Your Travel Easy, overseas bookings for Oct 3 to 9 are up 28.7 per cent compared with the Chuseok period in September 2024 .
The agency said popular destinations include Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan and other South-east Asian countries.
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Airlines are responding with large-scale capacity increases.
Jeju Air plans 234 additional international flights, adding more than 42,000 seats, while Jin Air, T'way Air, Eastar Jet and Air Busan are also expanding routes, particularly to Japan and South-east Asia.
Flight prices have climbed sharply.
Skyscanner data show round-trip tickets from Seoul to Da Nang, Vietnam, which could once be found earlier in the year for around 200,000 won ($185) , now range from 600,000 won to 1.2 million won. Direct flights to New York are selling for around 3 million won.
Domestic tourism is also feeling the effect. Local media reports hotel bookings in Jeju and other major destinations are already over 90 per cent for the holiday week.
Incheon International Airport Corp said on Aug 6 it expects international passenger numbers during the early October holiday period to surpass the current record of 2.14 million set during the Seollal New Year holiday in January.
Economic data from earlier in 2025 is feeding doubts about the plan.
During the Seollal New Year holiday, when an extra day off created a six-day break, outbound travel rose to 2.97 million people, up 7.3 per cent from 2024.
Statistics Korea's Nowcast data shows domestic credit card spending during the January break fell 34 per cent compared with the previous week.
The National Assembly Research Service reported in June that recent temporary public holidays have shown limited benefits for domestic demand while cutting production and exports.
There are also equity concerns. Businesses with fewer than five employees, which employ about 35 per cent of South Korea's workforce, are not required by law to grant temporary public holidays.
Schools could also face schedule disruptions, as many plan midterm exams shortly after Chuseok. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK