Anchor: More than 34 million people are expected to travel abroad or within the country for the Lunar New Year holiday this year. That’s up nearly 30 percent from last year and means nearly seven out of ten people will be traveling during the holidays. 
Our Bae Joo-yon has more. 

Report: According to research conducted by the Korea Transport Institute, a total of 34-point-84 million people are expected to travel abroad or within the country from January 24 to February 2, a special transportation period designated by the transport ministry.

The figure is up 29 percent from last year’s special transportation period, which lasted five days.

The number of travelers is expected to reach a peak of six-point-zero-one million people on Lunar New Year’s Day, which falls on Wednesday of next week.

Traffic congestion is expected to ease late Friday night and return to normal by 12 a.m. Sunday, according to T Map Mobility and SK Telecom.

Meanwhile, data presented to main opposition Democratic Party lawmaker Yeom Tae-young on Wednesday indicates that about one-point-34 million people will go abroad through six international airports in the country during the ten-day special transportation period. 

That means nearly three out of 100 people will be going abroad during the holidays.

The average daily number of travelers passing through Incheon International Airport during the ten-day period is forecast to reach a record high of 214-thousand. 

That’s up nearly 13 percent from last year’s Lunar New Year holiday. 
Bae Joo-yon, KBS World Radio News.