The Unvarnished Reality of Contactless Chuseok... No Masks, Crowded Together on Outings

Han River Parks and Zoos Crowded with Visitors
Entertainment Districts Have Lines Throughout the Holiday

Groups Sitting Close Without Masks
Waiting Lines Ignore Social Distancing

Incidents Decrease
Domestic Violence Down 13.8%, Traffic Accident Deaths Down 25.4%

At the entrance of the amusement park located in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province, on the day of Chuseok, the 1st of this month. With the holiday, this place was bustling with visitors.

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Gwan-ju, Yoo Byung-don, Lee Jung-yoon] On the day of Chuseok, the 1st of this month, an amusement park located in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province was crowded with holiday visitors. Hundreds of people lined up at each ride, and at the zoo, visitors sometimes waited over an hour to enter. Although most visitors wore masks encouraged by staff, 'social distancing' was not properly maintained in the waiting lines.

Due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the government implemented strong quarantine measures such as travel restrictions during the Chuseok holiday, leading to the disappearance of family gatherings like homecomings. Instead, major amusement parks nationwide were bustling with tourists. According to the National Police Agency on the 5th, during the 14-day comprehensive Chuseok security operation starting from the 21st of last month, the daily average number of reports of major crimes decreased by 10% compared to the previous year. Domestic violence decreased by 13.8%, and theft reports also dropped by 4.9%. Traffic accident fatalities during the holiday averaged 5 per day, a 25.4% decrease from the previous year, and injuries dropped significantly by 47.3% to 453.8 people. The usual holiday incidents and accidents greatly decreased as people gave up homecoming trips due to concerns about COVID-19 spread during Chuseok.

On the other hand, a balloon effect appeared as those who gave up homecoming trips went on outings to nearby amusement spots. Around 3 p.m. on October 3rd, which was Gaecheonjeol and the end of the holiday, Yeouido Hangang Park in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, was crowded with people enjoying the clear autumn sky. Although major roads in Seoul were quiet that day, Hangang Park was filled with people sitting on picnic mats in small groups, eating snacks like chicken, drinking during the day, and chatting noisily. While the distance between picnic mats was about 2 to 3 meters, groups sitting on the same mat gathered closely and talked without wearing masks.

On the afternoon of the 3rd of this month, Yeouido Hangang Park, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

The nightlife scene in Seoul was similar. Bars near Hapjeong Station in Seoul had lines of customers throughout the holiday period. The alley between Hapjeong Station and Sangsu Station was so crowded that walking properly was difficult. Also, 'no-mask' drinkers were frequently seen in many bars. Especially during this Chuseok holiday, many factories near Seoul stopped operations, and foreign workers poured out onto the streets. Mr. Zabliev (31) from Uzbekistan said, "Since the factory is not operating, we had nothing to do, so we came for a picnic with colleagues," adding, "I am a bit worried about COVID-19, but the holiday was too long and I felt frustrated, so I came out."

Experts are concerned that the safety negligence witnessed throughout society during last Chuseok holiday might lead to a third large wave of infections. Professor Cheon Eun-mi of the Respiratory Medicine Department at Ewha Mokdong Hospital said, "There has been a repeated pattern of confirmed cases increasing after long holidays, and it is highly likely to happen this time as well." Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Infectious Diseases Department at Korea University Guro Hospital warned, "Even if homecoming travelers decreased, if people gathered in parks or shopping malls, it should be considered meaningless from a quarantine perspective," adding, "There is a high possibility that the number of confirmed cases will rise again to triple digits this week."

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