"Untact Chuseok? Not for Us... We Are Going Home"

"Feeling Reluctant" Attending Holiday Gatherings Due to Parents' Nagging
Family Members Play 'Subtle Games' Over Returning Home
"Worry About COVID" vs "We Travel Anyway"

On the first day of the Chuseok holiday, the 30th, citizens are bustling at Seoul Station. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] "I was planning to stay home this Chuseok, but since we live close by, they insisted we get together."

Kim Ji-hyun (35, pseudonym), who lives in Incheon, had decided to stay home during the Chuseok holiday without going anywhere, but ended up reluctantly attending the family gathering. She couldn't refuse her in-laws' persistent requests, saying it would be fine to just stop by briefly since the house is nearby. Since all the in-laws live close by, the extended family gathered as usual. She even tried to excuse herself, saying she was worried about her young children, but was only met with remarks like, "You see each other often anyway, why make such a fuss?" Kim said, "Many families have decided not to gather this Chuseok, but it feels like someone else's problem. Since the distance is close enough to drive, I have no reason to refuse," she lamented.

While the number of 'return-home dropouts' who give up on visiting their hometowns due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19 is increasing, there are also those who must visit their hometowns due to unavoidable circumstances. Especially when the in-laws' or parents' homes are nearby, it is difficult to refuse parents' requests to "just see each other's faces." Many also reluctantly make the heavy journey due to pressure, such as being the head family.

Park Hyun-ah (36, pseudonym), who lives in Seoul, is also heading down to Daegu after being summoned by her in-laws. While everyone declared they wouldn't go this time, Park, the youngest daughter-in-law, took on the responsibility. Park said, "I should have just spoken up first without worrying about others' feelings. It’s supposed to be a joyful holiday, but I’m uneasy worrying about traveling." Seo Jong-seon (38, pseudonym), her eldest son, said, "I thought about it a lot before Chuseok, but since my siblings all said they couldn't go, I decided to go. I plan to be as cautious as possible, traveling by car and not visiting anywhere other than my parents' house."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On various online communities, posts expressing similar concerns such as "I’m taking the train during Chuseok, is that okay?" or "Is there any way to refuse my in-laws' insistence to come down?" have been frequently posted since before the holiday.

Many parents also express disappointment in this situation. They argue that since their children go out regularly, there is no reason not to gather during the holidays. Shin Jeong-gu (68, pseudonym) said, "I was shocked to see news that hotels and resorts at popular tourist spots are fully booked during Chuseok," adding, "If that’s the case, coming home for the holidays shouldn’t be a problem, but it seems like people are just using COVID as an excuse."

Meanwhile, on the first day of the Chuseok holiday, the 30th, traffic congestion continues on highways nationwide as holiday travelers flood the roads. As of 1 p.m., the estimated travel times by car from Seoul Tollgate to major cities are: Busan 6 hours, Gwangju 4 hours 30 minutes, Ulsan 6 hours 10 minutes, Daegu 5 hours, Daejeon 2 hours 20 minutes, and Gangneung 3 hours 30 minutes. The Korea Expressway Corporation forecasted that congestion peaked between 11 a.m. and noon and is expected to ease around 7 to 8 p.m.

On the same day, the daily new COVID-19 cases reached triple digits again at 113, the first time since the 25th (114 cases) five days earlier. The cumulative number of confirmed cases rose to 23,812.

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