Salaried workers will be able to take an average 8.4 days off during the 10-day Chuseok holiday, which begins later this week, a poll showed Tuesday.

The government has designated Oct. 2 as a one-off holiday to bridge the Sept. 30 weekend with Chuseok and other holidays, including National Foundation Day and Hangeul Day, commemorating the invention of the Korean alphabet.

Chuseok is a traditional autumn harvest celebration that falls on Oct. 4 this year.

The survey of 858 employees by Hunet, a career education institute, revealed 49.7 percent of the polled will be able to enjoy the full 10 days off.

About 20.6 percent said they will take nine days off, while 8.2 percent claimed they are expecting a five-day holiday.

About 0.5 percent said they will not take any days off during the holiday. 

Employees at big businesses will get 9.7 days off and workers at state-run companies 9.6 days.

The comparable figures for those at small and medium-sized firms and foreign invested companies were 8.1 days and 7.9 days, respectively.

More than half (60.5 percent) said they will visit their hometowns and meet with family members and relatives, while 40.3 percent said they will just rest at home.

About 26.1 percent said they will enjoy cultural activities, while 25.3 percent will make domestic trips and 6.4 percent will travel abroad.

The survey then said people plan to spend an average of 580,000 won ($510) during the holiday.

The amount is up from 526,000 won spent during the Chuseok holiday last year.

About 33.4 percent of people questioned said they will spend between 300,000 won and 500,000 won, while 21.4 percent said outlays will be between 500,000 won and 700,000 won.

About 17.2 percent said they probably will spend more than 1 million won, 14.1 percent between 700,000 won and 1 million won, and 12.1 percent between 100,000 won and 300,000 won.

Married people estimated their upcoming expenditures at 588,000 won, while singles said 537,000 won.

Nearly half (45.9 percent) of their expenditures will be to give gifts of cash to parents and children.

Next came travel expenses at 20.2 percent, followed by purchases of gifts at 14.6 percent, buying foods for the ancestral memorial service at 11.5 percent and transportation fees at 6.5 percent. (Yonhap)