Travel to and from hometowns to be concentrated during four-day Chuseok holiday... Seoul Metropolitan Government activates comprehensive measures

[Financial News] As travel to and from hometowns and visits to relatives are expected to be concentrated during the short four-day Chuseok holiday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is strengthening emergency medical services, transportation, and safety management.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 13th that it will implement the "2026 Chuseok Comprehensive Measures" from the 23rd to the 28th.
This year's Chuseok holiday runs from the 24th to the 27th, three days shorter than last year. As travel demand is likely to be concentrated at specific times during the short holiday and relatively more citizens are expected to remain in Seoul, the city will strengthen medical services, transportation, and safety management.
The measures consist of 15 tasks across three major areas: citizen safety, livelihood stability, and daily convenience. A Chuseok comprehensive situation room has been established on the first floor of Seoul Metropolitan Government to oversee five areas—firefighting, storms and floods, transportation, medical services, and prices. The disaster and safety situation room will also operate 24 hours a day.
The emergency medical system will also be maintained during the holiday period. Fifty-one emergency medical institutions and 23 hospitals operating emergency rooms in Seoul will operate 24 hours a day. Eight "Our Child Safe Hospitals" and three "Our Child Specialized Emergency Centers" for pediatric emergency patients will also remain open. During the four-day holiday, approximately 6,036 hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies will operate in total, averaging 1,509 per day.
Fire and food safety inspections will also be strengthened. Fire safety investigations and gas facility inspections at 1,204 locations, including traditional markets and retail facilities, will be completed before the holiday, while joint inspections will be conducted at fire-vulnerable facilities such as jjokbang villages. The hygiene conditions of 1,150 holiday food manufacturers, retailers, and restaurants will be inspected, and compliance with country-of-origin labeling will be checked at approximately 4,000 locations, including traditional markets and small and medium-sized supermarkets.
Support for vulnerable groups will continue. Approximately 250,000 households receiving basic livelihood assistance will receive a consolation payment of 30,000 won per household. The 774 elderly residents of nursing facilities and 1,806 disabled residents of residential facilities will receive consolation gifts or payments worth 10,000 won per person. In cooperation with the Community Chest of Korea, goods and cash worth 500 million won will be provided, while the Seoul Metropolitan Food Bank Center will deliver food and daily necessities worth 200 million won.
To ease the burden of grocery shopping, Seoul Love Gift Certificates worth 265 billion won will also be issued. Seoul Love Gift Certificates for seniors worth 8 billion won will be issued first on the 14th, while general metropolitan gift certificates will be sold at a 5% discount on the 18th. District gift certificates will also be issued at a 5% discount from the 15th to the 17th.
A Chuseok price-measures situation room will operate to manage the supply and demand and price trends of key holiday goods. Supply of 11 major holiday items, including apples, pears, and yellow croaker, will be increased to 105% of the average transaction volume over the previous three years before the holiday.
On the 26th and 27th, when returning travelers are expected to surge, the last departure times for city buses and subways will be extended. At stops serving five major railway stations and three bus terminals, schedules will be adjusted so that the last buses toward the terminal pass through at 1 a.m. the following day. Subway Lines 1–8 and Line 9, as well as the Ui-Sinseol Line and Sillim Line, will also run a total of 128 additional services over the two days so that the last trains arrive at their terminal stations at 1 a.m.
From the 23rd to the 27th, express and intercity buses departing from Seoul will also operate 751 additional services per day compared with normal schedules. The operating hours of the bus-only lane on the Gyeongbu Expressway will be extended from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. the following day. In major tourist areas such as Myeongdong, Hongdae, and Gangnam, authorities will also crack down on illegal taxi activities targeting foreign tourists.
For the convenience of visitors to graves, three city bus routes passing through Mangwoo History and Culture Park will operate 38 additional services per day on the 25th and 26th. Four free shuttle buses will run at Yongmiri Municipal Cemeteries 1 and 2 from the 24th to the 27th.
Chuseok-related living information will be available from the 16th through the "2026 Chuseok Holiday Comprehensive Information" website, "Seoul in My Hand," and the Seoul Metropolitan Government's social media channels. The 120 Dasan Call Foundation will also provide telephone consultations 24 hours a day during the holiday period.
Kang Kyung-hoon, Acting Director of Policy Planning for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "As this year's Chuseok holiday is short and travel and visits are expected to be concentrated, we will ensure that emergency medical services, transportation, and safety are managed without gaps, while carefully attending to the meals and well-being of vulnerable groups."

[email protected] Lee Seol-young Reporter