코로나19 시대 첫 대목…확 바뀐 추석선물 新 풍속도<br /><br />The Korean thanksgiving holiday of Chuseok, coming up next week, is normally a time for big family get-togethers, travel and shopping.<br />Less so this year, though, as our Bae Eun-ji reports.<br />This woman usually heads out to the countryside to visit her grandmother and relatives, but this year, due to COVID-19, her family has decided not to go.<br />Instead, she will buy this year's Chuseok gifts online and have them delivered.<br />"Other than the convenience of buying what I need at home, and having them delivered, I also have a chance to be at a lower risk of contracting the disease."<br />More people are choosing to pre-order their gifts this year as consumers can pay in advance then simply pick up the items at the store, or have them delivered.<br />"Pre-order sales this year have gone up 40 percent compared to last year."<br />Another Chuseok trend that has changed is the kind of gifts people are giving.<br />Before the pandemic, fruits, meat, and traditional snacks used to be popular Chuseok presents.<br />But this year, more people are looking for health-related products such as ginseng for their holiday gifts.<br />This man and his wife bought ginseng products and had them delivered straight to their relatives.<br />"I can't go visit my relatives because of the COVID-19 outbreak, and they're also telling me not to come... but I can't go through the holiday season without sending any gifts."<br />COVID-19 has also created other never-before-seen Chuseok gifts.<br />"Even hand sanitizers and masks are on display for people to give to their loved ones over the holiday."<br />This year, it turns out that *not* going to visit your family could be the best way to show your love during Chuseok.<br />Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News.<br />
