South Korea Faces First Lunar New Year During COVID-19... "This Year’s Chuseok, Here’s What Changes"

Meal restrictions at rest areas with packed lunches... Families and relatives also wear masks during gatherings

On the 29th, one day before the Chuseok holiday, a mother and daughter are waving their hands as they board a train at Seoul Station heading to their hometown Jinju. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] "Since eating is not allowed at rest areas, I am packing lunch boxes for my family. I plan to eat inside the car because there may not be enough seating like outdoor benches."

Ms. Kim Mi-young, 41, residing in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, started preparing lunch boxes from the morning of the 29th. This is because the quarantine authorities prohibited dining at highway rest area restaurants for six days from that day until the 4th of next month to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the Chuseok holiday, allowing only takeout. Ms. Kim said, "You have to line up for takeout, but since it is a holiday, the rest areas will likely be crowded," adding, "To prevent infection, I plan to prepare simple food and water to eat."

Mr. Lee Pil-seong, 43, living in Jongno-gu, Seoul, said, "I know that not going to my hometown during the Chuseok holiday is considered filial piety, but due to COVID-19 this year, I have not seen my parents even once, so after much consideration, I decided to go." He added, "Since my parents are elderly, they live wearing masks, and we do not plan to have family gatherings."

The landscape of South Korea changed on the 29th, ahead of the first Chuseok holiday since COVID-19. Because this Chuseok holiday, which will be crowded with travelers and visitors, could potentially trigger a resurgence of COVID-19, the quarantine authorities designated the two weeks from the 28th of this month to the 11th of next month as the 'Chuseok Special Quarantine Period' and are focusing all efforts on quarantine. Kang Do-tae, the first general coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said on the 29th, "A considerable number of people are planning to travel during the Chuseok holiday, and the number of users at airports nationwide is expected to reach 75% of last year's level, which is concerning," adding, "We ask the public to remain vigilant and practice preventive measures so that this Chuseok holiday does not become a catalyst for nationwide COVID-19 spread." Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, emphasized the day before, "If this Chuseok holiday becomes a true rest by refraining from face-to-face contact, our society will be able to recover daily life more safely in the upcoming fall and winter."

Rest Areas Used by Unspecified Many Could Become Infection Spread Links
Eating Prohibited Inside Rest Area Restaurants... Only Takeout Allowed

The government strengthened quarantine measures to prevent highway rest areas from becoming links in infection spread during the Chuseok holiday. To minimize rest area usage time, all menus were composed mainly of simple meals available only for takeout, restricting indoor consumption. If COVID-19 spreads at rest areas where unspecified many gather and disperse, the damage could ripple nationwide. To induce reduced movement, highway tolls will be charged normally for three days from the 30th of this month to the 2nd of next month. Although tolls have been waived during holidays in the past, this year they have been converted to paid tolls.

Quarantine rules must also be followed inside moving vehicles. When traveling to hometowns or tourist destinations by public transportation such as buses or trains, masks must be worn at all times, and it is better to exchange messages rather than calls while on the bus or train. The quarantine authorities explained, "On the KTX, it is safer to go to the passenger car to make calls, and on buses, it is safer to send messages or use rest areas for calls whenever possible," adding, "If an emergency call is necessary, be sure to wear a mask and speak quietly and briefly as a second-best option."

On the 29th, a notice regarding the ban on indoor seating operation during the Chuseok holiday was posted at the Mannam Square Rest Area on the Gyeongbu Expressway heading towards Busan in Seocho-gu, Seoul. From this day until the 4th of next month, for a total of six days, indoor seating at all highway rest area stores managed by Korea Expressway Corporation will be prohibited to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and only takeout will be allowed. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

During the Chuseok holiday, refraining from visiting hometowns is best, but if visiting is unavoidable, it is essential to follow quarantine rules among family and relatives. Since COVID-19 cases have recently concentrated in the metropolitan area and the mortality rate among the elderly is increasing, extra caution is needed when returning home. Park Neung-hoo, first director of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said, "The proportion of elderly among confirmed cases is high, and unfortunately, about 80 deaths occurred in September alone," adding, "Everyone's wisdom is needed to wisely spend the Chuseok holiday, which involves nationwide movement and a high possibility of close contact."

It is better to avoid meals during family and relative gatherings as much as possible. Director Jeong said, "Recent cluster infection cases show that people usually wear masks diligently, but exposure occurred simply because masks were removed during meals or when eating snacks together," adding, "Meals are a very risky infection route, so meal times should be as short as possible, focus on eating rather than talking during meals, and wear masks before and after meals when talking." The quarantine authorities recommend that even during family and relative gatherings, masks must be worn, and a minimum distance of about 1 meter should be kept, with seating arrangements such as leaving one seat empty or sitting in a zigzag pattern.

Strict Government Response to Forced Gatherings During Holiday
Operation of National Public Facilities like National Museum Resumes, Providing Relief

Gatherings are also restricted during this Chuseok holiday. Large-scale gatherings pose a very high risk of infection spread and transmission because many people gather simultaneously in one place, shouting slogans and singing, releasing droplets. Therefore, the government indicated a strict response. Son Young-rae, head of strategic planning at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, said the day before, "About 600 confirmed cases have resulted from the Seoul city center gathering on Liberation Day, causing enormous social costs," adding, "If gatherings are forced, the government will promptly proceed with dispersal procedures, and will strictly respond to illegal violent acts occurring during non-compliance, including arresting offenders on the spot." The government plans to prohibit gatherings of 10 or more people and gatherings of fewer than 10 people if they are judged to pose a high risk of large-scale spread.

However, indoor national public facilities such as art museums, museums, and libraries, which were closed during social distancing level 2, are expected to reopen, providing relief. Public cultural and sports facilities such as municipal museums, art galleries, and public sports facilities will limit the number of users to about half of the usual capacity and implement an online reservation system. Currently, 23 affiliated museums, art galleries, and libraries including the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, as well as 11 national performance halls, have reopened after undergoing facility disinfection and reservation preparations.

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