Chuseok exodus begins

A couple in "hanbok", or traditional Korean costume, boards a train at Seoul Station in central Seoul, Friday, to head for their hometown for the Chuseok holiday. (Korea Times photo by Kim Joo-seong)

People all over the country began heading to their hometowns Friday for the four-day Chuseok holiday lasting until Tuesday.

More than 14 million people are expected to crisscross the country. Most people in Seoul said they will head to the hometowns in the provinces on Sunday morning and return Monday afternoon, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, Friday.

With over 82 percent of people planning to drive, the ministry expects it will take more than four hours to drive from Seoul to Daejeon, eight and a half hours from Seoul to Busan, over six hours from Seoul to Gwangju and four hours from Seoul to Gangneung.

On the way coming back, the roads will be more crowded and people may have to drive for an additional hour, according to the ministry.

The government has increased the number of express buses, trains, flights and ferries during the holiday.

Information on less congested roads and other traffic situations is available through broadcasts, the ministry's website cyber.mltm.go.kr/traffic and its mobile website m.mltm.go.kr/traffic.

Traffic information will also be updated every hour on Twitter accounts www.twitter.com/happytraffic and www.twitter.com/15882504.

For Seoul citizens planning to return on Monday evening and Tuesday, the city government will extend the operating hours of subways and intra-city buses to 2 a.m.

Detailed information on transport operations in the capital is available through 120 Dasan Call Center or the city's traffic control team at 02-6360-4638.

Typhoonforecast

Rainy weather is expected to aggravate traffic situations, as aTyphoonis moving toward the Korean Peninsula, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

TyphoonKulap is forecast to affect the country from southern regions starting Saturday afternoon, passing over the sea off Jeju Island. It will rain in almost all parts of the peninsula from Saturday evening through Tuesday morning.

"People may not be able to see the full moon on the holiday. High waves are expected, so those in coastal regions are advised to take caution", a weatherman said.

Medical emergency

For medical emergencies during the holiday, health authorities offer medical services together with hospitals and pharmacies.

Some 460 emergency medical centers across the nation will be ready for emergency patients, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.

An average of 1,881 clinics and hospitals and 5,268 pharmacies will be open each day around the country.

The authorities will also operate a 24-hour Emergency Medical Information Center, and those calling 1339 can find information on hospitals and pharmacies on duty in their towns. English, Chinese and Japanese speakers can also use the service.

"Doctors' consultations are available via the phone, so people facing emergency situations during visits to ancestral graves, such as snake bites in the mountain, will be able to receive information on first aid", a ministry official said.

The list of operating medical institutions is also posted on the ministry's website, mw.go.kr, and the call center's website, 1339.or.kr.

Smartphone users can find such information through the free application, 1339 emergency medical service, including maps and photos of medical institutions.

By Kim Rahn