Busan City Implements '2023 Lunar New Year Holiday Comprehensive Measures for Livelihood Stability' ... A Reliable Lunar New Year Holiday Supporting Citizens

Toll Free on 8 Paid Roads in Busan During Seol Holiday

Onnuri Gift Certificate Purchase Limit Raised, School Playgrounds Opened as Parking Lots

Busan City Hall.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Busan City will waive toll fees on eight toll roads during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

The city recently decided to waive toll fees on toll roads during the Lunar New Year holiday to alleviate the financial burden of travel expenses for returning home amid rising household burdens caused by high inflation and high oil prices.

On the 11th at 8:30 a.m., the city held a meeting of department heads chaired by Mayor Park Hyung-jun in the large conference room on the first floor of City Hall, announcing the full-scale implementation of the "2023 Lunar New Year Holiday Comprehensive Livelihood Stability Measures," focusing on six areas: transportation and logistics, economic stability, proactive quarantine, sharing and welfare, citizen safety, and culture and daily life, including the toll fee waiver on toll roads.

This meeting was organized to review and implement effective livelihood stability measures before and after the holiday period, addressing ongoing high inflation, high interest rates, and the resurgence of COVID-19, focusing on price stabilization, consumption promotion, maintaining a 24-hour emergency quarantine response system, support for vulnerable groups, and transportation and logistics measures.

In particular, private sector representatives such as the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business and the Busan Merchants Association attended today’s meeting to listen to field voices and seek cooperation on city policies.

Key points of the Lunar New Year livelihood stability comprehensive measures include,

◆(Transportation and Logistics) Full toll fee waiver on eight toll roads, special transportation measures for homebound travelers, and parking convenience provision

The city will fully waive toll fees on toll roads during the four-day Lunar New Year holiday period (January 21?24), resuming the toll waiver that had been suspended for two and a half years to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The targets are eight toll roads in total: four bridges including Gwangandaegyo, Geogadaegyo, Busanhang, and Eulsukdo Bridge, and four tunnels including Baekyang, Sujeongsan, Sanseong, and Cheonma Tunnel. It is expected that a total of 405,600 users per day will benefit from the waiver, and a toll fee of 15,200 KRW will be saved when passing consecutively through five coastal loop roads such as Gwangandaegyo and Geogadaegyo.

Additionally, ▲to enhance convenience for homebound travelers, the city will increase transportation capacity for express buses and railways (191 additional trips and 9,392 more passengers compared to normal times), ▲open 508 parking lots with 46,066 spaces including school playgrounds, and ▲provide real-time online traffic information during the holiday period.

◆(Economic Stability) Revitalizing the local economy through policy finance support, consumption promotion, and price stabilization management

In the economic stability sector, various measures will be implemented to supply holiday funds early, promote consumption, and stabilize prices. ▲Policy finance support will provide 861.5 billion KRW for small and medium enterprises and 930 billion KRW for small business owners to recover the livelihood economy ▲The purchase limit for Onnuri gift certificates will be raised (from 500,000 KRW to 700,000 KRW for paper certificates) to foster a consumption-friendly environment during the Lunar New Year ▲A price stabilization task force will operate and monitor prices of 16 major items ▲Maximum supply of holiday seasonal products such as agricultural products (196%), livestock products (133%), and seafood (130%) will be ensured to invigorate local commercial districts.

◆(Proactive Quarantine) Maintaining a 24-hour emergency quarantine system and conducting focused quarantine on high-risk group facilities

In the quarantine sector, a 24-hour emergency response quarantine system will be maintained. ▲42 screening clinics and 2 temporary screening clinics will operate normally ▲An emergency hotline for transporting home treatment patients will be operated ▲Emergency medical systems and medical services (hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, etc.) will be maintained to quickly block local infections and respond to emergencies during the holiday period.

Also, ▲With the extension of operation hours by two hours (8 a.m. to 7 p.m.) for ancestral grave and memorial facilities, a comprehensive situation room and strengthened quarantine management will be operated ▲Quarantine will be reinforced in high-risk group facilities vulnerable to cluster infections such as nursing hospitals for the elderly to ensure thorough quarantine management.

◆(Sharing and Welfare) Identifying vulnerable households, spreading a warm sharing atmosphere, and providing uninterrupted welfare services

The city will actively identify vulnerable households in the community (such as those with long-term unpaid rent or management fees) and continue support for marginalized groups during the holiday. ▲Support for elderly living alone (1.6 billion KRW) and joint ancestral rites support for homeless shelters (1.7 million KRW for 4 facilities) ▲Focused monitoring of emergency safety alert services for elderly living alone ▲Free meals and emergency shelter support for the homeless ▲Operation of activity support services for severely disabled persons ▲Additional heating cost payments for social welfare and vulnerable facilities will be provided to protect vulnerable groups through uninterrupted welfare services during the Lunar New Year holiday.

◆(Citizen Safety) Operation of disaster safety countermeasures headquarters, safety inspections of multi-use facilities, and strengthening fire and police activities

▲To respond promptly to various accidents during the holiday, a disaster safety situation room will operate 24 hours ▲Safety management inspections will be conducted at 501 multi-use facilities ▲Emergency safety inspections at large construction sites ▲Special alert duty by all fire stations (9,809 personnel) and focused operation of the Community Police Officer (CPO) crime prevention diagnosis team will strengthen rapid response systems for fire and safety accidents.

◆(Culture and Daily Life) Expanding opportunities for wise cultural enjoyment and prompt handling of daily civil complaints

Finally, ▲Safe cultural experience events and various non-face-to-face online cultural programs will be operated to normalize daily COVID-19 quarantine ▲Special crackdowns on illegal dumping, operation of water supply situation rooms, and emergency water supply measures will be implemented to promptly handle daily civil complaints during the holiday, ensuring citizens can spend the holiday in a pleasant environment.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun of Busan said, “The more difficult the economic situation and the more joyful the holiday, the greater the pain felt by marginalized groups and ordinary citizens.” He added, “The city’s top priority is the happiness and safety of citizens, and we will mobilize all available resources and capabilities to become a strong supporter that can provide great strength to citizens so that everyone can have a warm and comfortable Lunar New Year holiday.”

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