These Days, 90,000 People Depart Daily from Incheon Airport... Chuseok Golden Holiday 'Travel Over Hometown'

"Those who have not checked in for the flight to Los Angeles (LA), please line up here." On the 25th, airline staff at Incheon International Airport ran alongside the long queues, looking for passengers who had not yet checked in or dropped off their luggage for the LA flight. People wearing neck pillows raised their hands and began checking in following the airline staff's guidance. Meanwhile, children ran around and played among those checking flight information on the display boards. Parents glanced anxiously at their children while opening their carry-on bags to check if the luggage exceeded the weight limit. Despite waiting in long lines and carrying heavy luggage, everyone wore expressions full of anticipation. Kim (22, male), who planned to travel to Vietnam with his parents, said, "This time, we decided not to go down to Busan, where my grandparents live, with my parents," adding, "My grandfather and grandmother encouraged us to make memories by traveling rather than suffering through the holiday traffic."

On the 25th, people are waiting for check-in and baggage procedures at Incheon International Airport to travel abroad. Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

With the arrival of Chuseok and the golden holiday, Incheon International Airport was filled with people planning overseas trips. They unanimously agreed that during the golden holiday, it is better to find something comfortable and enjoyable individually rather than spending time performing ancestral rites with family.

According to Incheon International Airport Corporation on the 27th, about 91,770 people departed from Incheon International Airport on the weekend of the 23rd, and 90,093 on the 24th, totaling approximately 180,000 over two days. Including arrivals and departures, about 340,000 people used Incheon International Airport on the 23rd (169,603) and 24th (170,405). Even before the official start of the Chuseok holiday, the number of passengers using Incheon International Airport was nearly three times higher than the daily average of about 58,000 during last year's Chuseok holiday from the 8th to the 12th.

This reflects the explosive increase in demand for overseas travel this year, which is also evident during the Chuseok holiday. Passenger numbers at Incheon International Airport last month reached 5,443,720, a 178.8% increase compared to the same period last year. Compared to August 2020, when COVID-19 was spreading and passenger numbers were 234,958, the number has increased more than 20 times. This Chuseok holiday offers a golden holiday of at least six days, and the lifting of COVID-19 vaccination requirements overseas appears to have contributed to the increase in travelers. Japan abolished the requirement to show COVID-19 vaccination certificates upon entry in May this year, and the United States did so starting in May. Korea proactively withdrew the COVID-19 testing requirement upon entry in October last year.

The scene at Incheon International Airport on the 25th. People chose to travel instead of returning home for the Chuseok holiday. / Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

With the long holiday, many families visited Incheon International Airport to travel abroad together. Jeong (73, male), residing in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, said, "A total of eight people, including my son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and granddaughter, are planning a trip to Macau and visited Incheon International Airport," explaining, "Until last year, the family gathered at home to perform ancestral rites. This year, to celebrate the family's endurance through COVID-19, we planned an overseas trip two months ago."

However, some traveled alone or with friends instead of gathering with family. They felt it was better to create memories and experiences in a comfortable space rather than being cautious of relatives' eyes when gathering. Hwang (25, male) decided to travel to Japan with friends during this Chuseok holiday without performing ancestral rites, which caused friction with his parents. Hwang said, "There are no relatives I feel obliged to greet," adding, "My father nagged that we should perform ancestral rites during the holiday, but I don't really care. Golden holidays don't come often, and if not now, there won't be many opportunities to travel."

Professor Gu Jeong-woo of the Sociology Department at Sungkyunkwan University said, "Unlike the past, when the happiness of the entire family was pursued, the trend has shifted to respecting the happiness of individual family members," adding, "As time goes on, more individuals or families will travel rather than returning home for Lunar New Year or Chuseok holidays."