Chuseok

Koreans get three days for Chuseok -- the first day is spent in traffic trying to get out of Seoul, the second is spent with family, and the third is for getting back. If any part of the holiday falls on a weekend, that's too bad -- there's no "Chuseok Observed" kind of thing like in the U.S.

This year is a nice one -- the holiday started on a Wednesday, so people effectively get five full days. Still, that just means people don't have to rush back; Wednesday was still a horrible day to be on the road. So to spend time with my wife's family, I took the subway up from Pyeongtaek to Seoul. I love being in Seoul during Chuseok because -- as you can see in the picture -- no one's around. Unlike all those times you can't find a seat and have to stand, during Chuseok the city is empty.