"Can I Skip Visiting My In-Laws During Chuseok?" Daughters-in-Law Worried Amid Travel Restrictions

Government: "Please refrain from visiting hometown relatives this Chuseok"
"Feeling pressured by elders" complaints posted on mom cafes
"Please cancel this year's Chuseok holiday" 청 petition also submitted
Experts: "Increased movement raises concerns about COVID-19 spread"

In January, travelers returning home and heading back were crowding Seoul Station. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Kim Mo (32, female), an office worker living in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, is struggling over whether to visit her in-laws during the Chuseok holiday. She usually visits her in-laws every holiday, but this year she is hesitant due to COVID-19. Kim said, "With so many confirmed cases nationwide, I wonder if I really have to go to my relatives' house in this situation," adding, "When meeting relatives, we all eat together and probably won't wear masks, so I'm worried." She continued, "Just traveling to another region is a burden," and added, "I wish the relatives would just tell us not to come during times like this."

Recently, posts about whether to return to their hometowns during the Chuseok holiday have been appearing mainly on online communities such as mom cafes. Initially, the government urged people to refrain from traveling home for Chuseok to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, some citizens feel compelled to visit their relatives due to pressure from elders like their in-laws.

As a result, petitions have been continuously posted on the Blue House's public petition board asking to cancel the Chuseok holiday itself, fearing a resurgence of COVID-19 during the holiday period. Experts also recommend refraining from going out during the holiday and encourage non-face-to-face methods such as video calls.

The government has advised people to refrain from traveling home, visiting ancestral graves, and grass cutting during this Chuseok holiday (September 30 to October 4) to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on the 6th, "I ask that this Chuseok holiday, movement be minimized and that people stay home as much as possible to rest," adding, "I hope this holiday will prioritize the health and safety of yourself, your family, and relatives."

Son Young-rae, head of the Strategic Planning Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Central Accident Response Headquarters, said at a regular briefing on the 9th, "To prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the Chuseok holiday, we have recommended that the public refrain from traveling as much as possible. We apologize for giving such advice during our nation's biggest holiday, but please understand that this unavoidable recommendation is due to the risk of infection transmission."

The quarantine authorities are implementing measures such as installing table partitions at highway rest areas and separating passenger flows at airports, train stations, and terminals to prevent infection. They are also operating online ancestral memorial services and grass-cutting proxy services, and have requested related industries to refrain from tasting and sampling activities at department stores and marts during the holiday period.

Posts about whether to visit relatives' houses are being shared mainly on online communities. Photo by Naver screen capture.

Some people complain that they have no choice but to visit their hometowns due to persistent pressure from relatives, regardless of their own will. In situations where elders lead holiday events, they feel awkward if they are the only ones not participating. There is also dissatisfaction that not attending the holiday events, which occur only twice a year, often leads to being disliked by relatives.

A member of a mom cafe said, "I don't want to go to my in-laws because of COVID-19, but the government's vague recommendations make me feel like I have to go again this time. I wish they would just ban travel outright," adding, "I wish my in-laws would tell us not to come this time or at least ask us to come briefly before Chuseok."

Netizens commented on the post, saying, "When I told my husband I didn't want to go to relatives' houses during Chuseok, he said, 'We hardly see them a few times a year, so why?' I think I'm just overreacting," "As someone raising a baby, I just want to stay home. I hope the government strongly prohibits it," and "I haven't heard my in-laws say not to come. Relatives from all over the country will gather, and while I might go alone, having a child makes me hesitate a lot."

There are also concerns that COVID-19 could resurge due to Chuseok. Previously, confirmed cases surged sharply after the 'golden holiday' period from late April to early May and the Liberation Day holiday in August. In China, COVID-19 spread rapidly around the Lunar New Year (Chunjeol), the nation's biggest traditional holiday, due to increased travel.

On the 26th of last month, a petition was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board requesting the complete abolition of the Chuseok holiday. Photo by Blue House National Petition Board screenshot.

Consequently, petitions related to the Chuseok holiday have been continuously posted. In particular, a petition titled "Please cancel this Chuseok holiday" posted on the 26th of last month was written by a petitioner who identified herself as a daughter-in-law, saying, "Do you know how frustrating it is as a daughter-in-law not to be able to say no because of COVID-19?" and asked for the holiday itself to be canceled.

The petitioner said, "There are still many conservative people in Korea. While they say we should be careful about COVID-19, many elders think we must gather during holidays," adding, "No matter how much I got married and became a daughter-in-law, I can't control my own body. I'm like a puppet. To say I won't go to my in-laws, I have to be prepared for divorce."

She continued, "I also considered the petition as a ban on mass movement, but after experiencing the Gwanghwamun rally, I thought it wouldn't be observed, so the only way to definitely prevent it seems to be officially canceling the holiday." The petition had received over 16,380 signatures as of 10:30 a.m. on the 10th.

Experts also emphasize refraining from visiting hometowns, noting that quarantine guidelines are unlikely to be followed during the Chuseok holiday.

Professor Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University Guro Hospital, said, "During holidays like Chuseok, increased movement raises the risk of nationwide COVID-19 spread," adding, "Also, during holidays, families gather without wearing masks and share food, so the likelihood of not following quarantine guidelines is high." He added, "Given the current situation, it is best to avoid going out this Chuseok and spend the holiday non-face-to-face."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.