Train Tickets for Lunar New Year Holiday Available for Reservation January 11-13... Window Seats Prioritized

On the last day of 2021, the 31st, the Seoul Station ticket office is bustling with citizens trying to purchase train tickets. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Next year's Lunar New Year holiday train tickets can be reserved 100% non-face-to-face in advance.

According to Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) on the 31st, train tickets for the Lunar New Year holiday next year will be sold in advance 100% non-face-to-face through online and phone from January 11 to 13 for three days. The reservation targets are tickets for KTX, ITX-Saemaeul, Mugunghwa trains operating for six days from January 28 to February 2.

On the first day, the 11th, sales are limited to information-vulnerable groups (elderly and registered disabled), and on the 12th and 13th, tickets will be sold to all citizens. The limit is 4 one-way tickets per person, 8 round-trip tickets (4+4) (phone reservations are limited to 3 one-way tickets and 6 round-trip tickets per person).

Since special quarantine measures for Lunar New Year have not been decided, window seats will be sold first. The sale of aisle seats will be determined once the quarantine measures are finalized. For KTX 4-person companion seats, only one forward-facing seat will be sold, and standing tickets will not be operated.

Elderly or disabled persons who are railroad members can log in to the 'Holiday Train Ticket Reservation Dedicated Homepage' online via PC or mobile to make reservations. Non-members can join as railroad members before the reservation day or purchase tickets by phone if they are not familiar with internet use.

On the 12th, tickets for the Gyeongbu, Gyeongjeon, Donghae, Chungbuk, Jungbu Naeryuk, and Gyeongbuk lines will be available, and on the 13th, tickets for the Honam, Jeolla, Gangneung, Janghang, Jungang, Taebaek, Yeongdong, and Gyeongchun lines will be available. Reserved tickets must be paid for from 3 p.m. on the 13th until midnight on the 16th. Unpaid tickets will be automatically canceled and allocated to waiting applicants.

Remaining unsold seats can be purchased from 3 p.m. on the 13th at station counters, websites, Korail Talk app, and other online and offline channels just like regular tickets.

Mobile reservations require clicking the link provided in the 'Korail Talk' app to connect to the Holiday Train Ticket Reservation Dedicated Homepage or directly accessing it by entering the address in a web browser. To assist with Lunar New Year reservations, the 'Holiday Train Ticket Reservation Dedicated Homepage' will operate from 2 p.m. on the 7th.

Illegal boarding without a ticket will incur up to 30 times the additional fare and result in disembarkation at the next stop. On the 28th, the day before the holiday, free seating cars will be operated to prevent crowding of regular ticket users.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, trains will be fully disinfected after operation ends, and KTX trains will be ventilated 17 times per hour (once every 3.5 minutes) during operation.

Lee Kyung-soo, head of Korail Customer Marketing Division, said, "Due to the severe COVID-19 situation, this Lunar New Year reservation will also be conducted 100% non-face-to-face," adding, "We will prepare thoroughly so that everyone, including information-vulnerable groups, can comfortably make reservations."

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