How South Korea Is Orchestrating A Seamless Great Migration This Lunar New Year

Published on February 5, 2026

As nan crisp aerial of February settles complete nan Korean Peninsula, a acquainted hum of anticipation originates to vibrate done nan streets of nan capital. It is February 5, 2026, and while nan remainder of nan world moves astatine its accustomed frantic pace, Seoul is bracing for 1 of nan astir important taste events of nan year: Lunar New Year, aliases Seollal. This year, nan vacation carries an moreover deeper weight, arsenic nan accepted three-day observance is bolstered by a preceding weekend, creating a generous five-day model for families to reunite, grant their roots, and stock successful nan warmth of tradition.

However, moving millions of group crossed a modern metropolis and into nan agrarian heartlands is nary mini feat of engineering. Recognizing nan logistical upland that lies ahead, nan Seoul City Government has unveiled a broad suite of public transit and emergency wellness measures designed to guarantee that nan only point citizens person to interest astir is whether they brought capable gifts for their relatives.

Navigating nan Midnight Rush

For many, nan hardest portion of nan Lunar New Year holiday isn’t nan agelong drive—it’s nan last limb of nan travel backmost location aft a late-night meal aliases a long-distance autobus ride. To combat nan accent of “beating nan clock,” nan metropolis has announced a important description of late-night services. On nan last 2 days of nan holiday, February 17 and 18, nan metropolis will toggle shape into a 24-hour organism.

The bosom of this effort lies wrong nan Seoul Metro. Trains operating connected Subway Lines 1-8, on pinch nan high-speed Line 9, and nan newer Ui-Sinseol Line and Sillim Line, will spot their schedules extended. Instead of nan accustomed midnight wind-down, these lines will run until 1 a.m. nan pursuing morning. This isn’t conscionable a insignificant tweak; nan metropolis is adding a staggering 128 further runs to nan schedule. This ensures that travelers arriving backmost astatine awesome hubs precocious astatine nighttime aren’t near stranded connected acold platforms, but are alternatively greeted by nan acquainted chime of a waiting train.

But nan obstruction lines are only half nan story. The city bus web is besides getting a festive makeover. Schedules person been meticulously readjusted to synchronize pinch nan presence of awesome intercity transport. Buses passing done 5 captious gateways—including nan iconic Seoul Station and nan 3 superior bus terminals—will proceed their routes until nan 1 a.m. cutoff. It is simply a synchronized creation of alloy and rubber, each choreographed to get nan weary traveler to their beforehand door.

Bridging nan Distance: Intercity Travel

While nan city’s soul veins are pumping faster, nan arteries starring retired of Seoul are besides seeing a monolithic surge successful capacity. Between February 13 and February 18, nan number of express and intercity buses departing from nan superior will beryllium accrued by 20 percent compared to modular operating times.

This boost successful work is expected to accommodate an further 21,000 passengers per day. Whether you are heading to nan coastal beauty of Gangneung aliases nan historical streets of Gyeongju, nan extremity is clear: accessibility. The Seoul City Government understands that Seollal is much than conscionable a break from work; it is simply a clip erstwhile Koreans caput backmost to their hometowns to sojourn their ancestors’ graves and execute nan accepted rites of remembrance. By expanding nan wave of these departures, nan metropolis reduces nan “ticketing war” that often defines nan weeks starring up to nan holiday.

A Safety Net for nan Festivities

No vacation is without its hiccups. Between nan flurry of cooking Tteokguk (rice barroom soup) and nan inevitable insignificant accidents that hap erstwhile a twelve cousins are playing together successful 1 surviving room, aesculapian readiness is paramount. The city’s health and aesculapian sector is going into overdrive to guarantee that “emergency” doesn’t move into “catastrophe.”

During nan vacation period, 72 emergency aesculapian facilities crossed Seoul will stay unfastened 24 hours a day. This includes 51 emergency aesculapian institutions and 21 hospitals pinch dedicated emergency rooms that will run without a moment’s pause. But nan support doesn’t extremity astatine nan ER doors. On immoderate fixed time during nan break, an mean of 2,600 hospitals and pharmacies will beryllium unfastened for business.

This wide readiness of pharmacies and clinics is simply a captious alleviation valve for nan city’s awesome hospitals, ensuring that those pinch insignificant ailments—like a abrupt bout of indigestion from excessively galore vacation treats aliases a seasonal flu—can find attraction without clogging up nan trauma centers. It provides a psychological information net, allowing families to observe pinch nan bid of mind that master thief is conscionable a fewer blocks away.

The Human Spirit Behind nan Logistics

Beyond nan spreadsheets and nan additional train runs, location is simply a profoundly quality constituent to these measures. The Seoul City Government‘s scheme is simply a reflection of nan worth placed connected family and contented successful Korean society. By extending services and bolstering aesculapian care, nan metropolis is fundamentally saying that nan clip spent pinch loved ones is sacred, and nan government’s domiciled is to region nan clash of modern life to let that contented to flourish.

The scenes astatine Seoul autobus terminals this twelvemonth will apt reflector nan “file photos” of years past—crowds of group carrying brightly wrapped gift sets, children successful colorful Hanbok, and nan palpable power of a federation connected nan move. But down that chaos is simply a refined strategy of comprehensive vacation measures that support nan gears turning.

As we look toward nan mediate of February, nan connection to Seoulites is clear: Go home. Visit your parents. Bow to your elders. Eat well. The metropolis has taken attraction of nan rest. Whether you are catching nan past Sillim Line train astatine 12:45 a.m. aliases picking up a medicine astatine a section drugstore connected a Sunday afternoon, nan infrastructure of nan superior is opinionated defender complete your holiday.

In a world that often feels progressively disconnected, nan “Great Migration” of Seollal remains a powerful testament to nan enduring spot of nan Korean family. And successful 2026, acknowledgment to these thoughtful metropolis measures, that travel location is conscionable a small spot easier for everyone.

Looking Ahead

As nan vacation concludes connected February 18, nan metropolis will erstwhile again modulation backmost to its modular rhythm. But for those 5 days, nan attraction remains wholly connected nan safe transition and well-being of its citizens. The Seoul City Government will proceed to show postulation patterns and aesculapian needs successful real-time, proving that moreover a metropolis of 10 cardinal tin consciousness for illustration a small, supportive organization erstwhile it matters most.