Parents and their children dressed in hanbok, traditional Korean costume, wave as they leave for their hometown in Busan at Seoul Station Friday. During Seollal, or Lunar New Year’s holiday that will continue through Jan. 27, more than 20 million people are expected to visit their hometowns.
/ Korea Times Photo by Koh Young-kwon |
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
The Lunar New Year's Day ― Seollal ― exodus began Friday. More than 20 million people are expected to take to the road to spend the four-day holiday with their families and loved ones.
All flights and trains have been fully booked by homebound urbanites, while many opted to drive. The number of travelers is predicted to peak Sunday.
It's estimated the drive from Seoul to Busan will take roughly seven-and-a-half hours, and more than nine hours for the return trip.
Traffic information is available online at www.mltm.go.kr via wireless Internet and mobile phone. The government has set up kiosks at major transit facilities, such as airports and train stations, to provide traffic information. Korea Express Corp. is running a 24-hour hotline at 1588-2505. Drivers can also get information via mobile phone text messaging if they send the names of highway interchanges to the number.
The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs has set up a medical emergency system for the period. People can locate the nearest medical facilities and consult doctors by calling a 24-hour hotline at 1339. The regional code is needed when calling with mobile phones.
A total of 455 general hospitals, emergency rooms of medium-sized hospitals and emergency centers will offer medical services round-the-clock. Small-sized clinics and pharmacies will open in shifts. A list of hospitals and pharmacies open for the holiday is available from Dasan Call Center 120, and on the Web sites of Seoul Metropolitan City and local administrations.
About 220,000 people will go abroad during the nations' most festive holiday. The health ministry asked travelers to China and Southeast Asian countries to take extra care of what they eat and drink, and of the human variant of avian influenza.
A cold spell is expected to grip the nation during the period, with temperatures in Seoul falling below minus 10 degrees Celsius.
Snowfall has been forecast for the southern part of the peninsula; North Jeolla Province, Jeju Island and western coastal areas are forecast to see five to 15 centimeters of snow. People will, however, enjoy clear skies on the last day of the holiday, Jan. 27, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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