Seoul Facilities Corporation to Open 61 Public Parking Lots for Free During Chuseok Holiday; Comprehensive Measures Prepared

[Financial News] Seoul Facilities Corporation announced on the 4th that it will implement comprehensive measures during the September Chuseok holiday, including opening 61 public parking lots for free and providing convenience for visitors paying respects at municipal cemetery and funeral facilities.
During the holiday, the corporation will deploy more than 300 employees for special duty at 16 municipal cemetery and funeral facilities, including Seoul Seunghwa Center and Yongmiri and Byeokjeri cemeteries. It will also assign an additional 200 traffic-control personnel to manage traffic on frequently congested routes and reduce inconvenience for visitors paying respects at graves.
About 170,000 people are expected to visit the municipal cemetery and funeral facilities during the holiday. At Yongmiri Municipal Cemetery, which is expected to receive about 130,000 visitors, free shuttle buses will operate from the 24th through the 27th.
Additional portable toilets and traffic signs will be installed at Yongmiri Cemetery 1 and Byeokjeri Cemetery. The House of Remembrance for the Unaffiliated Deceased at Yongmiri Cemetery 1 will also open from the 24th through the 26th for visitors who make advance reservations.
A digital memorial altar using artificial intelligence (AI) technology will also be introduced at Yongmiri Cemetery 2. Visitors will be able to scan a QR code with their smartphones to register a portrait photo of the deceased and a memorial message, then pay their respects through a digital display.
The corporation will also operate the KakaoTalk channel “Seoul Municipal Cemetery Park” for visitors paying respects. It will provide information on grave locations, directions, visiting periods and management-related matters.
The corporation has also decided to open 61 Seoul public parking lots for free from midnight on the 24th through midnight on the 27th during the Chuseok holiday. The lots include parking facilities near downtown tourist attractions such as Jongmyo Shrine, Euljiro and Yeouido, as well as facilities in major commercial areas and on the outskirts of the city, including Cheonho Station, Sadang Station, Sincheon Retention Basin and Cheonwang Station. They will operate around the clock for four days.
Drivers will receive a holiday traffic congestion forecast that predicts congestion on major Seoul roads by time of day. After analyzing traffic data from the past five Chuseok holidays, including vehicle volumes and travel speeds, the corporation plans to provide expected congestion information for expressways and major arterial roads. Real-time traffic information will also be provided through variable message signs and social media.
Special management will also be carried out on expressways. Before the holiday, the corporation will inspect the safety conditions of road pavement, potholes, delineator posts and other ancillary facilities on 12 routes, including Olympic-daero, Gangbyeonbuk-ro, Seobu Expressway and Dongbu Expressway, as well as tunnels and underpasses.
An emergency situation room and emergency restoration teams will also operate to respond to unexpected incidents. The corporation plans to conduct emergency duty in stages depending on weather conditions.
Han Kook-young, chairperson of Seoul Facilities Corporation, said, “We are making thorough preparations so that citizens can spend this Chuseok holiday safely and comfortably.” He added, “We will continue to do our utmost to provide high-quality public services by making citizens’ safety and happiness our top priorities.”

[email protected] Reporter Seong Chorong Reporter