9월 23일 topic입니다

[rachel]

Korea Inc. Faces 9-Day Chusok Shutdown

Korea Inc. is expected to face a virtual shutdown for Chusok, the biggest holiday for Koreans, with workers downing their tools and offices closing down.

Of course, some companies will maintain skeleton crews to keep vital operations going, while others are vacillating how to schedule workers’ holidays for various reasons.

This year, the Korean lunar thanksgiving will stretch up to nine days starting Sept. 30 for workers. Chusok falls on Oct. 6.

Among large companies, Samsung Electronics, the country’s largest electronics maker, said that the company will take five days off during the long Chusok holiday.

All workers of Samsung Electronics will be taking a Chusok break for five days, as the company will not face difficulties in meeting its sales for this year because of the holiday interruption.

However, Samsung officials say it will continue to operate its core businesses such as semiconductor and liquid crystal display (LCD) production during Chusok.

LG Electronics, Korea’s second-largest electronics company, is doing the same as its competitor.

A spokesman of LG Electronics said that the company will have a four-day break, but noted that the firm will continue to produce plasma display panels (PDP) during Chusok, to maintain its competitive edge.

Samsung Techwin, Korea’s largest digital camera maker, said it was giving workers five days off without hesitation as it had already achieved 80 percent of targeted sales for this year.

In the meantime, Hyundai Motor, Korea’s biggest carmaker, said it has not yet decided on the vacation time at Chusok for its staff.

Due to protracted dispute between labor and management, Hyundai saw lost production of more than 90,000 automobiles worth about 1.3 trillion won, bringing uncertainties over its targeted sales for 2006.

Last July, the auto manufacturer raised its sales target to 650,000 units with an all-time high market share of 52 percent for 2006 from its initial target of 630,000.

But officials say that there is a slim chance for the company to reach its goal, as it will see less production days and more breaks this year.

Kia Motors, an affiliate of Hyundai Automotive Group, also said that Chusok was problematic as in the last eight months it has only achieved 55 percent of its sales goal.

Above all, Chusok will especially burden small and medium-sized companies in Korea.

With additional risk factors such as a strong won and rising oil prices, almost all small firms are expected to run into trouble, as Chusok’s grace period will put a hold on business operations, which will lead to difficulties in meeting their expectations for the year, industry sources said.
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Flights Fully Booked Ahead of Long Chusok Holidays

For this year’s “Chusok” (Korean Thanksgiving) holidays, people are rushing to travel abroad. Chusok falls on Oct. 6.

These “golden days” are long indeed, and can last up to nine days utilizing the five-day workweek plus “Gaechonjol”

(National Foundation Day) and annual paid-holiday. During the season, many getaway packages in travel agencies are fully booked, bringing a vibrant atmosphere to the travel industry.

Hana Tour, one of the nation’s largest tourist companies, has placed Chusok packages on the front of its Web site. “There is a constant number of bookings for the season,” a company promoter Yoon Shin-shik said.

Around 24,000 people have booked overseas holidays through the agency.

Lotte Tour has a more than 200 percent booking rate for air travel to Southeast Asia, leaving many people on waiting lists.

Salaried workers are planning vacations to overcome stress and pressure. Chung Hye-sun, a movie set designer is planning a trip to Thailand.

“I always wanted to go there, and I know this kind of opportunity doesn’t come so often,” she said.

As a single woman she feels no obligation for family affairs such as holiday gatherings or religious services.

Hahn Hee-young, a 50-yearold housewife, is planning to travel abroad.

Since last year, she has visited ancestral tombs to pick weeds a week before the holidays.

By getting ahead start, she can be free from family matters.

“Both in-laws are dead and my brothers don’t gather together that much,” she added.

The tourist industry is busy trying to attract customers.

Online tourist agency Web Tour is giving travelers a chance to win 2 billion won in a lottery.

Naeil Tour has arranged package tours to Hong Kong especially “for singles suffering from pressure to get married and those who fear having to spend the holiday alone.”

“It’s about people being individuals rather than groups,”

Nah Gan-chae, a Chonnam University professor for social studies said. “People tend to care about themselves and holidays are a perfect time to give themselves a break. Of course holidays have been useful for this,” he added.

Chusok is one of the biggest holidays in Korea, and the days before and after are used to stretch the holiday period. Last year, the Chusok holiday extended for five days.

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Young Single Women in Rush to Travel Abroad

Ahn Se-yon, a 33-year-old single woman working as a department director at an IT company, is heading for Okinawa during the Chusok Holidays. She will be traveling with her female friend, a TV producer, who is also single.
It seems Incheon International Airport will be full of young single women like Ahn during the upcoming Chusok holidays, as travel agencies report that they take up to 80 percent of the total reservation on overseas trips.

Chusok Holidays, one of the biggest holidays in Korea, falls on Oct. 5, 6, and 7. As Oct.3 is “Kaechonjol” (National Foundation Day) and most companies operate a fiveday workweek, one can stretch the holiday period up to nine days, that is to say from Sept. 30 to Oct. 8, if they take annual paid-holidays on Oct. 2 and 4.

Koreans are rushing to travel abroad during these “golden days.” According to a survey on 8,500 customers by Hyundai Department Store, only 60 percent plan to visit their hometown or relatives during the Chusok Holidays, much lower than the 81 percent during the Lunar New Year’s Day Holidays.

About one third of the respondents said they would take a trip somewhere else.

Many package tours offered by travel agencies have been fully booked since July, though the price is around 30 percent higher than usual. Europe is an especially popular destination among young Korean women. Reservations for European package tours were filled in May and hundreds of people are on waiting lists. “As the Chusok Holiday this year is longer than b e f o r e , many people who had dreamed of a trip to Europe are making use of the opportunity,” said Ko Ki-dong, an executive at Nex Tour.

Ko said young single women made up around 70 percent of their customers, even before the holiday season. “Not only package trips to Europe, but also unguided tours to Hong Kong, Singapore or Japan have more female customers than men.”

Ko said young single career women, who are free from family obligations and financially independent, travel abroad to fulfill their desire to be free. “A lot of women travel overseas together with female friends, but two male friends rarely travel overseas together.”

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1, What is today's news?

*Main questions*
1. Finally, the sizzling summer has gone by and we already seem to be in the middle of autumn. Every year, at this time, I always dream of hitting the road and somewhat expect to start something new.
Even though it is quite short, it is the most beautiful season of the year. So, for this emotional season, do you have a special story in mind to share with us or can you tell us what you want to do most at this time?

2. This year, we'll get the longest holidays for ChuSok. Even though we have kept our tradition for Chusok for a long time, a lot of people plan to go on a trip abroad by using these long holidays, regardless of keeping the tradition. What do you think of this phenomenon, and, do you have any special plans during this holidays?

3. For the holiday, we usually prepare some gifts for our families that sometimes make us get stressed. This ChuSok, you also have to think about a gift for your family. What do you have in mind as gifts and, let's share some tips for appropriate gifts for our close ones.

4. For every major holiday, after we worship our ancestors, we usually spend time staying at home without doing anything special. It is not a commonplace affair to get together with all of our family members. How do you usually spend family gatherings and do you have any ideas for family gathering on such holidays so we can spend time more meaningfully?