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Exodus begins for Lunar New Year

Traffic gets moving with people bound for hometowns on the West Coast Highway near Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Friday, as the Lunar New Year holiday or Seollal starts Saturday. Yonhap

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By Kim Rahn, Kim Tae-jong

The annual exodus to hometowns for family reunions celebrating the Lunar New Year holiday or Seollal starts Saturday.

Nearly 32 million people or 60 percent of the entire population of South Korea are expected to travel by car, bus, train or plane during the country's biggest holiday that continues through Tuesday.

Roads out of the capital to the provinces are expected to be busiest Sunday morning, while those to Seoul will be crowded Monday afternoon, according to the Korea Highway Corp.

"We expect traffic jams to reach their peak Sunday morning when most homebound people are expected to hit the road", a Korea Highway Corp. official said. "But the roads will also be congested on Monday with those returning to Seoul".

It is expected to take more than three and a half hours from Seoul to Daejeon, over seven hours from Seoul to Busan, five and a half hours from Seoul to Gwangju and some four hours from Seoul to Gangneung.

The way back to the capital is feared to be more congested, and drivers may have to spend more than an additional hour to the time spent going to their hometowns.

Between Saturday and Tuesday, the hours of operation for bus-only lanes on the Seoul-Busan Expressway will be extended from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next day from the usual 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Between Monday and Tuesday when people visiting hometowns in provinces return to Seoul, subway operating hours will be extended to 2 a.m. the next day. Buses running near major train stations and cross-country bus terminals will also operate until 2 a.m.

Weather

The nation is expected to have cloudy skies throughout the holiday with some parts seeing rain or snow, according to the country's weather agency. A cold spell will grip the peninsula with the mercury falling to below zero in most areas.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Friday that eastern coastal areas and Jeju Island can expect rain or snow. A heavy snow alert has been issued for mountainous areas in Gangwon Province.

The KMA also said the cold weather will prevail throughout the holiday due to an extremely high pressure system from Siberia.

"With the expansion of the system from Sunday, the temperature is expected to plunge during the holiday", a KMA official said. "Monday's morning low could drop to minus 9 degrees centigrade in Seoul, and temperatures in most parts of the country are expected to be below zero".

Due to expected snow or rain combined with the cold weather, he advised people to drive cautiously.

Emergency hotline

More than 700 hospitals and 1,680 pharmacies will open each day in Seoul during the holiday.

As citizens complained during previous holidays that clinics and pharmacies shut, the metropolitan government has checked in advance whether they will be open.

Those suddenly taken ill or experiencing other medical emergencies can call 1339, an emergency hotline for information on emergency treatment or locations of nearby on-duty clinics and pharmacies. English, Chinese and Japanese services are available.

This information is also available by calling the Dasan Call Center at 120. The 24-hour hotline also offers other services such as subway and bus schedules, traffic reports and information on cultural events.

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