1.3 Million Expected at Incheon Airport During Golden Holiday... Immigration Staff Doubled

by Lee Yiseul

Published 29 Apr.2026 21:22(KST)

Three Departure Halls to Open 30 Minutes Earlier

Departure hall view of Incheon International Airport. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Ministry of Justice announced on April 29 that it will implement special immigration control measures from April 30 to May 5, coinciding with the Labor Day holiday and Japan’s Golden Week. The ministry will focus its administrative resources on reducing airport congestion in preparation for the expected surge in outbound travelers during the holiday period.

The Incheon Airport Immigration Office will open Departure Halls 2 and 4 of Terminal 1 and Departure Hall 2 of Terminal 2 thirty minutes earlier than usual for three consecutive days starting April 30, when the number of departures is expected to peak.

To speed up clearance, a special task force of about 20 personnel and an emergency standby team of about 10 members will be deployed each day. Some immigration officers will start work one to three hours earlier, increasing the available workforce from the usual 76 to 171. The number of manned immigration counters will also be expanded from 113 to a maximum of 168. The number of passenger supervision staff will be increased from 18 to 32.

Incheon International Airport forecasts that approximately 1.3 million international passengers will use the airport during the special measures period. This equates to a daily average of 215,000 travelers, representing a 2.6% increase compared to the same period last year.

Minister of Justice Jeong Seongho stated, "We will provide high-quality immigration services to the public during the holiday period," and added, "We will continue to steadily increase the number of immigration officers as needed."