During the Samiljeol Holiday, 210,000 Koreans Visited This Place, the 'Nearby and Affordable Country'

Japanese Travelers Increase by 4.5% Compared to 'No Japan' Period
Continued Popularity of Japan Travel Expected Due to Yen Depreciation

It was revealed that about 210,000 people used flights on Japan routes during the three-day 3·1 Movement Day holiday. On the 6th, Korea Airports Corporation and Incheon International Airport Corporation announced that the total number of passengers using Japan routes (combined arrivals and departures) at domestic airports from March 1 to 3 was 210,509. Among them, 61,764 people used Japan routes at six international airports under the jurisdiction of Korea Airports Corporation, including Gimpo and Gimhae Airports, and 148,745 people used Japan routes at Incheon Airport.

Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 is bustling with travelers preparing to depart. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article.
Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

By date, there were 73,673 passengers on March 1, the 3·1 Movement Day itself, 68,265 on the 2nd, and 68,571 on the 3rd. The number of passengers using Japan routes during this year’s 3·1 Movement Day holiday was about 4.5% higher than during the three-day 3·1 Movement Day holiday in 2019 (201,467), before the so-called 'No Japan' boycott of Japanese products. On the other hand, the total number of international passengers during the 3·1 Movement Day holiday decreased by about 7%, from approximately 807,000 in 2019 to about 752,000 this year.

The aviation industry analyzes that the popularity of travel to Japan continues due to the weak yen (Yen depreciation), and that psychological burdens regarding '3·1 Movement Day travel to Japan' have eased as Korea-Japan relations have improved since last year. An industry official explained, "Japan offers cost savings for travel and is suitable for short trips during brief holidays, so it seems that travelers flocked just before school and university semesters started," adding, "Since demand for medium- and short-distance travel remains high this year as well, Japan routes will continue to be popular."

Diverging Public Opinions on Traveling to Japan During the 3·1 Movement Day Holiday

As demand for travel to Japan steadily increases, public opinions among netizens sharply diverged regarding visiting Japan during the 3·1 Movement Day holiday. One day before the 3·1 Movement Day, YouTuber Hanu, who posted travel content about Tokyo, Japan, faced severe criticism and eventually apologized for uploading the video.

In the aviation industry, the popularity of travel to Japan continues due to the weak yen, and since the recovery of Korea-Japan relations from last year, the psychological burden associated with 'March 1st Japan travel' has also eased. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Yonhap News]

However, as critical comments continued and subscribers unsubscribed, Hanu eventually made the video private. Afterwards, he posted on the community, "I thought I could just check better next time, but it seems I caused discomfort to viewers watching on 3·1 Movement Day. I am sorry for causing discomfort throughout the night. I promise to be more careful in the future, and I have made this video private and will come back with the next video."

Regarding Hanu’s apology, some netizens argued, "He didn’t travel on 3·1 Movement Day itself, nor did he upload the video on that day," "It’s excessive to criticize him for uploading the Tokyo travel video on February 29, a day before," and questioned, "Is it okay to travel to Japan two or three days after 3·1 Movement Day?"

Earlier, actress Go So-young also bowed her head after receiving numerous criticisms from netizens for posting photos on social networking services (SNS) of her trip to Japan last year on Liberation Day with her husband, actor Jang Dong-gun, and their children. Additionally, the large discount store Homeplus faced criticism from many netizens for holding a discount event on Japanese whiskey during the 3·1 Movement Day holiday.

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