이번 추석엔 '마음'만 가까이...코로나19 속 '따뜻한 거리두기' 확산
Korean Thanksgiving or Chuseok is when families get together to hold ancestral riturals and share huge meals.
We typically see a mass exodus as tens of millions clog the highways to get to their hometowns, but it looks like things may be different this year.
As the country grapples with Covid-19 resurgence, elderly parents are urging their grown up children to skip their holiday visit and the government is also encouraging that by foregoing their Chuseok expressway toll charge exemption.
Kim Sungmin reports.
Residents of Jeollabuk-do Province are out holding pickets, sharing a message ahead of the Chuseok holiday.
"Daughter-in-law, don't visit us this holiday",...reads the picket.
They want to follow social distancing measures for the well-being of their family.
"This year, it's so dangerous to visit us because of COVID-19. Let's meet next time... It's sad, but what can we do? We need to live together."
The local government has the same message.
"We urge you to comply with social distancing measures for your family and for the community as a whole. Visiting your parents or going to other parts of the country could lead to cluster infections."
Starting from Jeollanam-do Province, the "warm social distancing movement" of not visiting elderly relatives is spreading across South Korea.
"The fatality rate increases as patients are older. For those in their 70s, it is almost 10 percent, and by their 80s, it increases to 20 percent. Concerns are also growing since it is soon autumn, which is when the virus could spread more vigorously."
To ensure fewer people travel over the holiday, the government has decided not to remove the expressway toll this Chuseok.
Expressways have been free during the Chuseok holiday since 2017 but this year is an exception to contain the virus.
The government is also expected to come up with detailed virus prevention measures ahead of the holiday.
Kim Sung-min, Arirang News
