Seoul: The mobile application and website for ticket reservations of the state-run railroad operator became unavailable for technical reasons Wednesday, causing inconvenience for customers, ahead of the upcoming Chuseok holiday. Online reservations for next month’s holiday began at 7 a.m., but users were unable to access the reservation system for over two hours, according to Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL).

According to Yonhap News Agency, a KORAIL official indicated that the system appeared to be malfunctioning due to overloaded traffic, attributed to the relatively longer Chuseok holiday period this year. “Emergency measures have been taken, and the system is being normalized in phases,” KORAIL stated. They expressed their apologies to those who experienced delays and assured that they will inspect and improve the system to prevent similar issues in the future.

Chuseok, which falls on Oct. 6 this year, is the autumn harvest celebration, during which people travel to their hometowns to reunite with family members and relatives, and visit their ancestors’ graves. The holiday period this year is extended as it is situated between two national holidays-National Foundation Day on Oct. 3 and Hangeul Day on Oct. 9, which celebrates the Korean alphabet.