First chuseok after high-speed rail merger to add 34,000 seats a day

Train seat availability will increase by an average of 34,000 seats per day over the five-day chuseok holiday period from Wednesday through Sunday.

South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) announced Monday they would expand train services during the chuseok holiday so the public can fully experience the efficiency gains and capacity improvements that followed the high-speed rail merger.

The figure is based on a two-week analysis of transport data from Sept. 1 to Sept. 14 — the period immediately after the merger — compared with the same period last year, which showed a real-terms increase of 34,000 seats per day on average. The authorities said they would maintain that level of service through the holiday.

The average daily seat supply rose 6.7 percent, from 254,000 to 271,000. Daily ridership climbed 12.1 percent — from 272,000 to 305,000 — driven in part by more passengers boarding and alighting at intermediate stops on major routes such as the Gyeongbu and Honam lines. Officials said ridership growth at roughly twice the rate of seat supply growth indicated improved operational efficiency.

Particularly notable was the surge in ridership at stations on the Suseo axis compared with those on the Seoul Station axis. Average daily ridership on the Seoul Station axis rose 7.4 percent, from 204,000 to 219,000, while the Suseo Station axis jumped 25.0 percent, from 68,000 to 85,000.

The ministry and Korail said they would make holiday travel more convenient by increasing seat supply while also improving operational efficiency and spreading demand more evenly across departure times and routes.

In the first chuseok ticket presale since the merger, 1.8 million tickets were sold, representing a reservation rate of 84 percent — a sharp rise from 63 percent during last year's chuseok presale.

To uphold order on the rail network and protect passengers with genuine travel needs, the ministry and Korail said they would step up enforcement against ticket scalping and fare evasion. Korail staff will conduct undercover "mystery shopper" operations on online secondhand platforms such as Karrot, posing as buyers to purchase scalped tickets directly and identify sellers.

Alongside this, Korail will operate a scalping tip-off channel on its website and mobile app, Korail+, to receive reports of suspected ticket resale. Sellers caught scalping will be immediately removed from Korail's membership system, and the company said it would pursue investigations, impose fines and take other strict measures against violations.

Meanwhile, the authorities said they would run a comprehensive safety management system throughout the holiday — from pre-emptive inspections to emergency response — to put passenger safety first.

Special safety inspections of major stations, rolling stock and infrastructure nationwide were completed in advance, with focused checks on escalators and elevators inside stations, platform screen doors, fire safety facilities, train running gear and cabin equipment, as well as track and power supply systems.

"As this is the first chuseok since the high-speed rail merger, we will deliver changes that people can feel — expanded transport capacity and a unified ticketing system," said Kim Tae-byeong, director general of the ministry's railroad bureau. "Through advance safety inspections of major stations, rolling stock and facilities, and a 24-hour emergency response system, we will manage everything thoroughly so the public can travel home and back with peace of mind."