Chuseok Holiday
Incheon Airport Guide
Rewritten from what we measured in Chuseok 2026
NaruGate hourly records (corrected 28 Sep) · Updated 28 Sep 2026
NaruGate Data Insight
On the first day of Chuseok 2026 (24 Sep), T1 long-term P1 had no free space from 5 am, and by 6 pm the five T1 long-term car parks had 1 space left out of 9,713. On the weekdays before the holiday, even the busiest hour left 2,392–2,541 spaces free.
Why Is Chuseok So Chaotic at the Airport?
Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) is one of Korea's biggest national holidays, triggering a simultaneous surge in domestic and international travel. Both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport experience extreme congestion, especially on the first and last days of the holiday window. In our hourly records for Chuseok 2026, the T1 long-term car parks filled first, at 5–6 am on the first day, and T1 long-term P3 and the T2 surface long-term lot, which usually have room, filled that afternoon.
The growing trend of using Korean public holidays for overseas travel — to Southeast Asia, Japan, or Europe — has made flight missed and last-minute stress a real concern for many travellers.
Chuseok 2026: when the long-term car parks filled
| Car park | No free space on 24 Sep from | How long |
|---|---|---|
| T1 Long-term P1 | 5 am | 17 h, until 9 pm |
| T1 Long-term P2 | 6 am | 15 h |
| T2 Long-term (surface) | 2 pm | up to 15 h the next day |
| T1 Long-term P3 | 6 pm | up to 14 h the next day |
| T2 Long-term Towers P1 · P2 | never full (peak 81% · 84%) | — |
Incheon International Airport Corp. car park data recorded by NaruGate every hour on the hour (after the 28 Sep collection fix). Temporary holiday car parks are not included.
5 Parking Strategies for Chuseok
- 1Always pre-book a reserved car park
Book 1–2 weeks ahead on the official Incheon Airport website. Reserved spaces let you enter through a dedicated fast lane.
- 2T1: try P3 first. T2: try the long-term towers
T1 Long-term P3 peaks at 29–46% on ordinary weekdays and is the last to fill; in Chuseok 2026 it still had room until 6 pm on the first day. The two T2 long-term towers never filled during the holiday (peak 81% and 84%).
- 3Arrive 4 hours before your flight
Add at least one extra hour versus a normal day. Parking entry queues, shuttle waits, terminal transit, check-in, security, and immigration can all run slow simultaneously.
- 4Avoid the first and last days of the holiday
Adjusting your travel by just one day can dramatically cut costs and stress — flights are often cheaper too.
- 5Use the Easy Drop city terminal service
Drop your luggage at Hongdae or Gangnam Easy Drop, check in there, and arrive at the airport light. It dramatically cuts queuing time once you're at the terminal.
Getting Through Departures Fast
On the first day of Chuseok 2026 the longest T1 security wait we recorded was 49 minutes, at 5 am (26–33 minutes on the weekdays of 15–17 Sep). Pre-registering for SmartPass gives you access to a dedicated security lane. All departure gates connect inside the duty-free zone, so always choose the least crowded gate available.
Chuseok Pre-departure Checklist
- Pre-book reserved parking 2 weeks out
- Complete online check-in and download mobile boarding pass
- Pre-register for SmartPass (Korean Air, Asiana, etc.)
- Target arrival 4 hours before departure
- Check the parking status on NaruGate
- Choose the least congested departure gate