Millions of S. Koreans head to their hometowns for Chuseok holiday

Millions of South Koreans began the annual mass migration to their hometowns on Saturday to spend the major traditional holiday of Chuseok with their family members.
Shoppers crowd Gwangjang Market in downtown Seoul in preparation for the Chuseok holiday on Sept. 22, 2018. (Yonhap)
Shoppers crowd Gwangjang Market in downtown Seoul in preparation for the Chuseok holiday on Sept. 22, 2018. (Yonhap)

As a major traditional holiday, Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, serves as a chance for family members to get together to give thanks and pay tribute to their ancestors by preparing a meal and visiting graves.

Chuseok is celebrated on Aug. 15 in the lunar calendar, which falls on Monday this year, with the holidays running through Wednesday.

Authorities predicted that about 36.64 million South Koreans, nearly 70 of the total population, would join the annual exodus during this year's five-day holiday from Saturday.

Travelers streamed into the main train station in central Seoul, which links the capital to regional cities and towns across the country, as well as express bus terminals and airports.

During this year's holiday, around 1.18 million people are forecast to use the Incheon International Airport for travel, according to officials. Source from the Yonhap.

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