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Nearly half of Koreans plan to travel during upcoming Chuseok harvest holiday

Published: 25 Sep. 2025, 12:59 Updated: 25 Sep. 2025, 18:52

People crowd the Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong Island, Incheon, on Sept. 19. [YONHAP]

Nearly half of Korean adults plan to travel during the upcoming Chuseok harvest holiday, according to a new survey.

Lotte Members, the data analytics arm of Lotte Group, said Thursday that 47.4 percent of respondents in its Lime research platform survey intend to travel during the weeklong holiday from Oct. 3 to 9. Multiple responses were allowed.

Visiting parents or hometowns and staying home to rest each followed at 41.3 percent.

Among travelers, 30.5 percent chose domestic destinations, while 16.9 percent said they would go abroad. Domestic travel intentions rose 20.6 percentage points from last year, while overseas travel increased by 10.5 points. On average, respondents planned 4.5 days for domestic trips and 6.4 days for overseas travel. Nearly 30 percent said they would use personal vacation days to extend the break.

Top domestic travel destinations included Gangwon with 27.2 percent, Gyeongsang 26.6 percent and Jeju Island 25.9 percent. Popular overseas destinations were Japan with 39.6 percent, Southeast Asia 20.7 percent and the United States 11.2 percent.

Travelers going on summer holidays are seen at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport on Aug. 3. [YONHAP]

When asked what they planned to give as a Chuseok gift, 41.6 percent answered “cash,” followed by fruit with 19.6 percent, health supplements with 16.2 percent and meat at 15.3 percent.

Among those giving cash, the most common amount was between 100,000 and 200,000 won ($71 and $142), accounting for 40.4 percent of answers. Some 27.9 percent said they would give between 200,000 and 300,000 won, and 13.9 percent said between 50,000 and 100,000 won.

Asked what they would prefer to receive, respondents answered gift certificates at 51 percent, meat at 36.8 percent and cash at 32.9 percent.

The percentage of people who said they would not hold ancestral rites this Chuseok rose to 64.8 percent, up 16.4 percentage points from last year. Still, 59.3 percent said they plan to visit family grave sites, mostly during the holiday period, with 20.7 percent choosing Chuseok day and 35.5 percent the broader holiday.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]