South Korea waives admission tickets and highway tolls during Chuseok holiday

Four major palaces, including Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Deoksu and Changgyeong, along with Jongmyo Shrine and the Joseon Dynasty mausoleum complex, will welcome visitors free of charge from October 3-9.

Gwanghwa Gate, the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace, is located on the most central street of Seoul. (Photo: Khanh Van/VNA)

On the occasion of Chuseok (Mid-Autumn Festival) - the most important holiday of the year in Korea, the government has decided to open cultural heritage sites for free to tourists.

The National Heritage Administration said that four major palaces, including Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Deoksu and Changgyeong, along with Jongmyo Shrine and the Joseon Dynasty mausoleum complex, will receive free admission from October 3-9.

In particular, Jongmyo Shrine, which only accepts visitors by reservation, will allow visitors to freely explore during this year's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. However, visitors will still have to buy tickets to enter the back garden of Changdeok Palace as usual.

In addition, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) will also open free of charge from October 5-8 for all four branches in Seoul, Gwacheon City (Gyeonggi Province), Deoksu Palace and Cheongju City (North Chungcheong Province). The Seoul branch will be closed on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival (October 6) while the remaining branches will operate normally.

In addition, the Korea National Arboretum in Pyeongchang County (Gangwon Province) and Wando Botanical Garden in South Jeolla Province will also offer free admission during the biggest holiday of the year. However, as the opening hours and free admission periods may vary by location, visitors are advised to check the information carefully before visiting.

During the Chuseok holiday, the Korean government will waive tolls on expressways from October 4 to 7. Additional rest stops and rest areas will be set up to ensure drivers have a place to rest. The country has also announced round-trip fare discounts for KTX and SRT trains.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that it will strengthen safety inspections of vehicles and modes of transport, including railways, aviation and roads. Accordingly, the ministry will expand traffic accident risk management based on artificial intelligence (AI) technology and operate a system that uses AI technology to control seat belt use in all seats.

In preparation for the expected surge in both passenger numbers and travel frequency, authorities have planned to increase the number of buses, trains and other public transport by 15.2% and 11.9% compared to normal.

Incheon International Airport is expected to see a surge in passenger traffic during the upcoming Chuseok holiday. Specifically, Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) forecasts that Incheon International Airport will handle about 2.45 million passengers over 11 days (October 2-12).

Notably, on the peak day of October 3, Incheon International Airport is expected to receive about 239,000 passengers, surpassing the record of 234,171 passengers recorded on August 4, 2019./.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/han-quoc-mien-ve-tham-quan-va-phi-duong-cao-toc-trong-ky-nghi-le-tet-trung-thu-5060646.html