Incheon Airport Braces for Up to 60,000 Daily Foreign Arrivals as Chuseok Meets China's Golden Week

Foreign travelers passing through Incheon International Airport from late September through early October should brace for longer immigration lines, as Korea's Chuseok holiday overlaps with China's National Day golden week. The Incheon Airport Immigration and Foreigner Office announced it will run emergency operations for 14 days from September 23 to October 11 — covering the Chuseok holiday (Sept

. 23-27), China's National Day and Korea's Foundation Day (Sept. 30-Oct. 5), and Hangeul Day (Oct. 9-11). The single busiest day is expected to be September 27, during Chuseok, with roughly 245,300 travelers, while the daily average over the holiday is estimated at 225,899. Foreign arrivals are expected to exceed 50,000 a day between September 30 and October 3 around China's National Day, peaking a

t up to 60,000 on October 2. To cope, the immigration office will open departure gates 30 minutes to an hour earlier than usual on 12 of the 14 days. Terminal 1's Gate 2 will open at 5:30 a.m. instead of 6 a.m., Gate 4 at 6 a.m. instead of 6:30 a.m., and Terminal 2's Gate 2 at 5 a.m. instead of 5:30 a.m. Screening staff will also increase — from 38 to 54 at departure gates, and from a baseline of 1

28 to 166 at arrival gates, rising further to 188 during the peak foreign-arrival window of September 30 to October 3. Travelers flying in or out of Incheon during this period should arrive at the airport with extra buffer time, and those on early-morning departures should check the newly advanced gate-opening times in advance. Korea Tourism Times Editorial Desk