Seoul: Over 1.34 million South Koreans are projected to travel overseas during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, as many are likely to extend their vacation period to up to 10 days by taking additional leave, industry data revealed on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the data from Incheon International Airport Corp. and Korea Airports Corp., submitted to Rep. Yeom Tae-young of the main opposition Democratic Party, project that 1,340,295 passengers will travel overseas via six international airports in South Korea between Friday and February 2. Incheon International Airport, the country's main gateway located just west of Seoul, is expected to see 1.04 million departures, while regional airports in Gimhae, Jeju, and Daegu anticipate 293,649 departing passengers.
Officials have identified that Saturday will likely have the highest number of departing passengers, with 153,000 expected, whereas Tuesday, the eve of Lunar New Year Day, is projected to have the fewest departures, with 115,000 passengers anticipated. To manage the increased demand, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has raised the total number of flights by 7 percent to 19,351 and expanded seating capacity by 5.8 percent to 4.22 million seats.
Originally, the holiday season was planned to last for three days, as Lunar New Year Day falls on the following Wednesday. However, the government has designated Monday as a temporary national holiday, resulting in a six-day holiday period.