logo
Acting president inspects safety measures amid Lunar New Year holiday

Acting president inspects safety measures amid Lunar New Year holiday

Korea Herald27-01-2025

Acting President Choi Sang-mok conducted inspections of transportation, fire prevention and public safety measures Monday during the extended Lunar New Year holiday, his office said.
Choi received briefings from the head of the state-run Korea Expressway Corporation, as millions of people travel to their hometowns for the Lunar New Year, known as Seol, one of the country's two major traditional holidays, according to the finance ministry.
This year's holiday has been extended to six days, lasting until Thursday, after the government designated Monday as a temporary national holiday.
"Please ensure that transportation management is thorough so that the public can travel safely and comfortably, with this year's Lunar New Year holiday being longer than usual," Choi was quoted by the ministry as saying.
In addition, Choi visited the Seoul Emergency Operations Center, where he was briefed on the potential for emergency cases during the holiday period, the ministry said.
He urged officials to focus their efforts on maintaining the country's emergency medical system, emphasizing the increased movement of people and the heightened risks of various safety incidents. (Yonhap)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Over 10m people travel between S. Korea, Japan in first 5 months in 2025
Over 10m people travel between S. Korea, Japan in first 5 months in 2025

Korea Herald

time2 days ago

  • Korea Herald

Over 10m people travel between S. Korea, Japan in first 5 months in 2025

More than 10 million air passengers traveled on routes between South Korea and Japan in the January–May period, despite the strengthening yen, the transport ministry said Sunday. A record 11.25 million passengers flew between South Korea and Japan during the first five months of the year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a press release. The figure represents a 10.7 percent increase from the 10.16 million recorded during the same period last year and a 19.8 percent rise from the 9.39 million in the first five months of 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the airline industry. Industry officials said that years of a weak yen and the expansion of budget carrier flights to Japan have helped stimulate pent-up travel demand in recent years. They expect demand to continue rising in the second half, with the number of air traffic between the two countries likely to exceed last year's total of 25.14 million. (Yonhap)

Georgia wants more Korean visitors, companies
Georgia wants more Korean visitors, companies

Korea Herald

time5 days ago

  • Korea Herald

Georgia wants more Korean visitors, companies

'Guests are God's gift for Georgians' Georgia wants more Korean tourists and businesses, said Maia Omiadze, head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration, in an interaction with The Korea Herald on Wednesday. Omiadze is in Seoul leading a high-level Georgian delegation to South Korea from June 3 to June 9. She says that tourism is not just economic activity for Georgia, but also a point of cultural pride. 'A guest is a gift from God in Georgia,' she said, quoting a Georgian saying. 'We treat tourists not just as business opportunities, but as honored guests.' 'My personal feeling toward Korea has always been very warm. When I studied in New York City, I had a very good friend from Seoul, and from that time, I fell in love with Korea.' Despite the lack of direct flights, Georgia saw a remarkable 72 percent rise in Korean tourist arrivals in 2023, reaching 27,000 visitors. 'That's a positive trend,' she noted. 'We are in a recovery phase post-COVID, and the Asian market — especially Korea — is strategic for us.' During her meeting with Herald Media Group CEO Choi Jin-young, the administration and the media group discussed how to expand tourism and business ties. 'The way you (Koreans) make kimchi — in underground vessels — is similar to how we make wine. Both were recognized by UNESCO in the same year, in 2013, at the Intergovernmental Meeting in Baku. That connection is very special.' 'Georgia is a hidden gem,' Omiadze said, listing adventure, ecotourism, hiking and wine as some of her country's top draws. 'We know Korean tourists prioritize these experiences, and Georgia is the perfect destination in Eastern Europe for that,' she said. Choi expressed optimism for increased people-to-people ties through tourism. 'Many Koreans have not yet visited Georgia — this is where the potential lies,' said Choi, referring to Korea's evolving outbound travel patterns. 'The more exchanges we have, the more productive it will be,' said Choi, before also mentioning an impending free trade agreement that he believes will expand economic ties and open doors for Korean companies across sectors. Echoing Omiadze, Georgian Ambassador to Korea Tarash Papaskua pointed out that Georgian tourism is nearly 10 percent of its gross domestic product, and before COVID-19, "we welcomed 9.7 million tourists — almost triple our population.' Papaskua also added hope for direct flights and deeper partnerships with Korean travel agencies to follow successful charter operations like those by Hanjin Travel. sanjaykumar@

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store