Koreans flock to airports, malls during New Year's holiday: GPS data

Incheon International Airport and Starfield shopping malls were the top two destinations searched for on GPS app T Mobility, during the three-day New Year's holiday, the app’s operator said Wednesday.

The big data analysis confirms a preference for either overseas vacations or shopping at mega malls during the holidays.

From Dec. 30 to Jan. 1, T Map Mobility recorded 33,856 GPS-based routing requests from users heading to Incheon International Airport Terminal 1.

Combined with requests for Terminal 2, which recorded 16,128, the airport saw close to 50,000 requests during the holiday period.

Starfield outlets in Hanam and Goyang, Seoul’s suburbs, followed closely behind with 24,741 and 18,664 requests, respectively.

Including Hyundai Premium Outlet in Gimpo, which saw 11,860 requests, the total requests for mega malls reached 55,265, highlighting the popularity of retail therapy during the holiday season.

Some destinations outside of the Seoul metropolitan area also witnessed a significant influx of visitors.

Homigot Sunrise Square in Pohang had 14,200 requests and Sokcho Central Market in Sokcho had 12,963 requests, securing the sixth and seventh spots on the list.

Many travelers also opted for trains and airplanes for domestic travel during the New Year's break.

Gimpo International Airport's domestic terminal ranked fifth with 15,293 requests, while Gwangmyeong Station, a bullet train station in southwest Seoul, rounded out the top ten with 11,457 requests.

Meanwhile, national cemeteries like Daejeon National Cemetery and Sian Family Memorial Park, which made the top ten list during last year's Chuseok holiday, failed to make the top ten list for this New Year's holiday.