Passengers crowd the check-in area at Incheon Airport Terminal 1 on Wednesday as travel surges ahead of the extended Seollal holiday. (Newsis)
Passengers crowd the check-in area at Incheon Airport Terminal 1 on Wednesday as travel surges ahead of the extended Seollal holiday. (Newsis)

This year’s Seollal holiday is set to break travel records, with over 1.3 million Koreans expected to travel abroad between Jan. 24 and Feb. 2.

Thanks to the government’s designation of Monday, Jan. 27, as a temporary public holiday, many will enjoy a six-day break, and those taking personal leave on Friday, Jan. 31, can stretch the holiday to a rare nine days.

The extended holiday has triggered a surge in demand for international travel, with airport authorities projecting a 13.8 percent increase in daily outbound passengers compared to last year’s Lunar New Year period.

Travel boom, by the numbers

According to data from Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation, 1.34 million passengers are set to leave Korea during the 10-day period, with 1.04 million departing from Incheon Airport. Another 293,000 travelers will use regional airports, including Gimpo and Gimhae.

Jan. 25, the first official day of the holiday, is expected to be the busiest, with 153,000 travelers flying out -- 123,000 from Incheon alone. Meanwhile, Seollal Day itself on Jan. 29 will see the fewest travelers, with just 115,000 departures.

To accommodate the demand, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport has increased flights by 7 percent and added 4.2 million seats, a 5.8 percent rise compared to last year.

Airlines are also adding flights to popular destinations. For example, Asiana Airlines is operating nine extra flights to Kota Kinabalu, Nha Trang and Siem Reap, while budget carrier Eastar Jet is adding 48 flights on routes to Da Nang and Taipei as well as Jeju-Taipei connections.

Safety concerns have limited impact

Passenger numbers appear resilient despite predictions of public hesitation to fly with low-cost carriers following the Jeju Air Flight 2216 crash on Dec. 29.

Travelers queue at the T’way Air check-in counter in Terminal 1 of Incheon Airport on Wednesday ahead of the Seollal travel rush. (Newsis)
Travelers queue at the T’way Air check-in counter in Terminal 1 of Incheon Airport on Wednesday ahead of the Seollal travel rush. (Newsis)

Data from the Transport Ministry's aviation portal shows that major budget carriers such as Jin Air and T’way Air maintained similar passenger volumes in early January compared to the same period last year.

From Jan. 1 to Jan. 12, Jin Air operated 2,852 flights carrying 453,943 passengers, while T’way Air operated 2,748 flights with 466,938 passengers. Both airlines slightly increased their flight operations, although their passenger volumes saw minor declines.

By contrast, Jeju Air, which bore the brunt of the safety controversy, recorded an 11 percent drop in flight operations and a significant 32 percent drop in passenger numbers compared to the same period last year.

However, industry insiders note that the overall market remains steady, as travelers typically book international flights months in advance.

“Some travelers may switch to other airlines, but cancellations are rare,” said an official at a domestic low-cost carrier on condition of anonymity.

“With the extended holiday and strong demand for overseas trips, passenger numbers are likely to increase further.”