This week on Jeju: A to Z, Todd Thacker walks us through the upcoming Lunar New Year’s celebration, what it means to Koreans and their families, and also suggests some events and useful information for travelers during this national holiday.

Seollal, the Lunar New Year celebration, is much more than just a big national holiday. It’s really about family coming together to celebrate traditions passed down from generation to generation.

[Slug CG] National holiday runs from Jan. 24 (Fri) to Jan. 27 (Mon)

This year the Lunar New Year holiday is from Friday January 24th to Monday the 27th. During this time, you’ll find that most shops, restaurants and tourist destinations will be closed, especially on the long weekend.

Travel is also complicated by fewer available tickets on planes and ferries. Extra care and planning is required.

But even if you’re visiting during the Lunar New Year, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the culture and traditions of Jeju Island and the Korean people!

[Slug CG] Jeju Folk Village, Jejumok Gwana Gov’t Office /
Folklore and Natural History Museum, Jeju National Museum,

Major tourist sites including the Jeju Folk Village in the southeast of the island, the Jejumok Gwana Government Office, the Folklore and Natural History Museum, and Jeju National Museum in Jeju City all schedule cultural events for the public.

[Slug CG] Shuttlecock kicking, arrow toss, top spinning and more
If this is your first experience of Seollal, then you can visit one of these sites and experience traditional Korean Lunar New Year games for yourself like shuttlecock kicking, the arrow toss, top spinning and more.

[Slug CG] Todd Thacker

Clearly there’s a lot to do and see this holiday, so if you’d like to plan your time here or even just double-check whether a particular restaurant is open or not, an excellent resource is right at your fingertips.

[Slug CG] Jeju Tourist Info Center: Daily 9AM-6PM /
064-740-6000 visitjeju.net/u/3wP

The Jeju Tourist Information Center can help to answer your questions regarding Lunar New Year’s activities. They operate daily during regular business hours in English and other languages. Just call 064-740-6000 or go to their website for an online chat.

Happy Seollal, everyone!

Todd Thacker KCTV