Updated : 2026-02-13 22:23:50 KST
Korea is gearing up for the Seollal, or Lunar New Year holiday, which begins this weekend. For those heading home to celebrate with their loved ones, today marks the start of the holiday rush. Our correspondent Cho Young-eun is standing by at one of Seoul's busiest transportation hubs. Good evening, Young-eun! How is the atmosphere in Seoul station at the moment? Good evening Dami, I'm at Seoul station, one of the largest and most crowded train stations in Korea.
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gear up for ~을 위한 준비를 하다
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Behind me, you can see many people carrying gifts and luggage as they start their holiday journeys. With the five-day Seollal break just around the corner, people are already making their way across the country to meet their family and friends. As the evening sets in, the station has been filling up rapidly, especially after 6 PM, when most people leave work. From February 13 to February 18, designated as the "Lunar New Year Special Transportation Period," a total of 2.12 million train seats had been made available.
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make one's way 나아가다, 가다
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However, many bus and KTX tickets for journeys to major provincial cities have already sold out. Earlier today, I spoke with several people about their travel plans and their excitement for the holiday. Let's take a listen. "I don't have any specific plans, but I'm going to see my parents and meet up with my friends in my hometown." "I'm going down to my hometown to see my relatives and also to visit my ancestors' graves." "The four of us -my mom, my eldest aunt, my eldest aunt's son, and me -will spend time together."
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meet up with …와 만나다
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It's great to hear how people are looking forward to the holiday. Young-eun, what can travelers expect as the holiday travel rush continues? Traffic is expected to get even busier tomorrow, with heavy congestion forecast on major expressways. The Transport Ministry estimates that around 27.8 million people will be on the move during the holiday period. The busiest day is expected to be on Tuesday, the actual day of Seollal. On that day, 9.52 million people are projected to travel.
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expressway 고속도로 = freeway
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Both homebound and returning travelers will crowd the roads, with an estimated 6.15 million vehicles using expressways. Traffic congestion this Friday peaked between 5 and 6 PM, and is expected to gradually ease between 10 and 11 PM. At 8 PM, the drive from Seoul to Busan is estimated to take about 4 hours and 30 minutes. Travel time from Seoul to Daejeon is expected to be around 1 hour and 40 minutes, while the journey from Seoul to Daegu will take approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes by car.
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Travel time 이동시간
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Peak travel congestion is forecast for Sunday, with the trip from Seoul to Busan expected to take up to seven hours. On Tuesday the 17th, the return journey from Busan to Seoul could take as long as 10 hours. However, not everyone will be spending the holidays in the country. From February 13 to February 18, Korea Airports Corporation expects approximately 1.36 million passengers to travel through Incheon International Airport, both departing and arriving. That's all I have for you, Dami. Happy Seollal! That was our Cho Young-eun live from Seoul Station. Thank you and Happy Seollal to you too
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영어 원문 출처 및 동영상 링크;
arirang News /Life/Culture
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