Chuseok Holiday Exodus Begins

By Kim Rahn

Staff Reporter

The painfully weak economy and bumper-to-bumper traffic will not deter millions of people from visiting their hometown during the Chuseok holiday.

This year, about 17 million people are expected to visit their hometowns or travel during the nation's most celebrated holiday that runs through Monday, with some four million holidaymakers having already hit the road, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, Friday.

With the holiday falling on the weekend this year, traffic conditions could turn uglier across the nation, ministry officials said.

``Traffic jams on highways will likely be heavier than ever as the holiday period is shorter than usual and people will take to the roads simultaneously on the same days,'' a ministry official said. ``Despite the short period, the number of hometown visitors will be about 2.3 percent higher than last year's. Compared to most weekends, the traffic flow will be about two times higher.''

Traffic information is available on the Internet at www.tago.go.kr and also through the wireless Internet for cell phones. The authorities have also set up kiosks at major transit facilities such as airports and train stations to provide traffic information, while Korea Express Corp. runs 24-hour hotlines at 1588-2505. Drivers can also get information through cell phone text messages if they send the names of highway interchanges they use to the number.

For those coming back to Seoul late Sunday or Monday, subways and buses will run until 2 a.m.