BUSAN — Busan is launching a citywide emergency response covering the local economy, disaster management, medical care and transportation ahead of the four-day Chuseok holiday. The city will temporarily raise cashback on its Dongbaekjeon local currency card to as much as 15% and supply 500 billion won ($360 million) in special loans for small business owners, while deploying 13,164 people to run round-the-clock disaster and emergency medical systems. Tolls will also be waived at eight toll roads to ease travel for holiday commuters.
The city said on the 17th that it will operate a Chuseok holiday command center from the 24th through the 27th and carry out 72 tasks across seven areas. A total of 13,164 personnel from the city, its 16 districts and counties, and fire services will be assigned to eight response teams covering administration, disaster prevention, public health, transportation, the environment, wildfires, water supply and firefighting.
The measures aim to revive weak consumer sentiment while maintaining a safety net for residents during the holiday. The city will temporarily raise the Dongbaekjeon cashback rate to as much as 15% and hold a Chuseok spending promotion. It will draw 22,000 cardholders who spend 100,000 won or more and give each a QR coupon worth 5,000 won. Onnuri gift certificate rebate events will also be held at 27 traditional markets selling agricultural and livestock products and 41 selling seafood.
Financial support for small business owners and small and medium-sized enterprises will expand. The city will provide 500 billion won in low-interest special loans for small business owners, 200 billion won in conversion guarantees, 100 billion won for its B-Lycon growth program and 40 billion won in Vitamin PLUS policy funds. For SMEs, it will offer low-interest loans of 10 billion won for facilities and 1 billion won in special startup financing.
On safety, the city will run a 24-hour disaster situation room throughout the holiday and place fire stations on special alert. Safety inspections will cover 533 multi-use buildings, 10 large events and festivals, and 1,218 daycare centers to head off accidents. A special wildfire prevention headquarters will also be in operation.
The city is also preparing for gaps in medical care. Thirty-eight emergency medical institutions will maintain 24-hour treatment, and the city's emergency care situation room will monitor conditions in real time. Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies that open on Chuseok day will receive operating subsidies to help secure available care. The city will also maintain hygiene management at 356 businesses handling holiday foods and 24-hour surveillance for major infectious diseases.
Transportation measures focus on spreading out holiday travel and easing costs. Express and intercity bus and rail services will add 200 runs a day, expanding capacity by 15,407 passengers, and tolls will not be collected for the four days of the holiday at eight toll roads in the city, including the Gwangan and Geoga expressways, the Sujeongsan, Sanseong and Cheonma tunnels, the Eulsukdo and Busan Harbor bridges, and the Mandeok-Centum expressway. Operating hours will be extended on some city bus routes, and 517 temporary parking lots with 41,739 spaces will be secured using school playgrounds and other sites.
Cultural and tourism programs will run through the holiday to boost local tourism. They include Chuseok events at museums and art galleries, tourism events at Yongdusan Park and Taejongdae, and nighttime programs such as dinner cruises. Domoheon, the former official residence of the Busan mayor that now serves as a public cultural space, will also be specially opened on Sept. 26 and 27.
For daily life, the city will operate waste treatment facilities, carry out urban cleanup work and run a water supply situation room to reduce inconvenience during the holiday. It will also continue efforts to identify people falling through welfare gaps, provide emergency assistance and deliver holiday support to 27,000 households of older adults living alone.
The city will also run a Chuseok holiday information website where residents can find details on medical care, safety, transportation, tourism and the environment in one place. "We will make sure livelihoods are secure and safety is airtight so residents can enjoy the holiday without worry," Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said. "The city and its 16 districts and counties will work together to look after even the smallest details of residents' daily lives."
