Half of Urban Koreans Skip Chuseok With the Family

According to a survey carried out annually by HR company Saramin, this year’s Chuseok festival will turn out to be the second lonely one in a row for many South Korean office workers living in urban centers. Almost 52 percent said they would not return to their hometowns to visit family this year, down from almost 58 percent in 2020. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recent peaks in South Korea, the number of those forgoing travel went up significantly. In 2019, only around 40 percent of respondents said they were skipping the trip home.

As a reason for not returning home, 65 percent of respondents said that they were concerned about the re-emergence of the coronavirus, while 35 percent said that while there was a gathering they were sitting it out because the family would meet in a smaller circle.