Chuseok (추석), often known as Korea’s Thanksgiving, is one of the largest celebrations in South Korea. Families gather, express gratitude, and exchange gifts during this significant national holiday. While the festival occurs on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month annually, it is legally recognized as a three-day holiday, including a day before and after the date. In 2023, Koreans enjoyed a six-day holiday, spanning from September 28th to October 3rd. To stimulate domestic consumption, the government introduced a one-off holiday on October 2nd, while October 3rd is recognized as National Foundation Day. To capitalize on this special occasion, brands offer a wide range of products, such as SPAM, apple mangoes, body oil, and massaging equipment that are suitable for consumption and gifting.
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Chuseok, South Korea’s Thanksgiving Day, is modernizing
Chuseok has historically been a time for families to come together, show gratitude for the harvest, and pay respects to their ancestors. Families pay visits to ancestral graves, prepare a table full of food, make a formal bow of gratitude, and enjoy food altogether. They also play traditional folk games.
However, with rapid modernization, it has more common for people to visit their families, stay home, or travel instead. Resources such as food and clothing are not as scarce as they were in past, and mobile phones ease communication Additionally, gift-giving in Korea can be done online through platforms like KakaoTalk Gift.
Going home and visiting families remain prevalent
Visiting one’s hometown and families is still the most common way to celebrate Chuseok. Families visit either the paternal or maternal grandparents’ side. Since the destinations are usually far away and expressways are toll-free during the holiday, it’s not surprising to see traffic jams. Gifts are typically brought on these visits as bringing them is more culturally appreciated than arriving empty-handed.
Chuseok is shifting away from family
Koreans are also opting to travel instead. According to E-commerce platform Gmarket, from September 4th to the 13th of 2023, the top shopping keyword for Chuseok was “holiday liberation”. The demand for travel products more than doubled compared to the same period in 2022. Overseas travel products increased by 348%, while domestic travel products increased by 14%. Among popular destinations are Gyeongsang-do, Gangwon-do, and Jeju-do in Korea, as well as Japan, the United States, Canada. Products that could be used immediately during the holiday, such as vouchers for hotels and amusement parks, were popular too.
Growing number of “Honchu” people
The number of “Honchu” (혼추) individuals, those who spend the holidays alone, is on the rise. Several traditional foods like songpyeon (half-moon shaped rice cakes) and sanjeok (pancake skewers) are commonly prepared and enjoyed during Chuseok. However, making them can be quite cumbersome. To address this issue, convenience store companies sell special holiday lunch boxes. In 2023, GS25, one of the top convenience store chains, introduced a lunch box named “Mr. Eonam’s Spicy Braised Chicken”. This was named after the real name of actor Ryu Soo-young, known for his exceptional cooking skills on the TV cooking program called Stars’ Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant (편스토랑).
Gifts are becoming more diversified
Gift-giving is an important part of Chuseok. People don’t only give gifts to their relatives but to their friends, colleagues, and other people in their community. Among top gifts are fresh fruits, beef, traditional snacks, and health supplements. There are certain seasonal fruits during Chuseok that people purchase. These are pears, apples, mangoes, and grapes. Koreans are looking for more premium fruits, including shine muscats, apple mangoes, and melons.
Lotte Members conducted a survey to understand the buying intention of Chuseok gifts. Among 2,000 adult respondents, fruit gift sets along with gift certificates were top ranking. They were followed by health functional food sets, meat gift sets, and other kinds of food sets.
It is also becoming more common to give non-food items including beauty items, household supplies, and luxury products. To further appeal to consumers, e-commerce platforms and brands ran special promotions a few days or weeks before the festival. From September 11th to 17th, SSG.com held a “Beauty Sale”, where brands such as L’Oréal, LVMH P&C, and Amore Pacific participated. It offered discounts on existing and new products and packaging services. Not only did SSG.com hold such a Chuseok sale but also other e-commerce platforms like Gmarket and Auction.
Price is key to gift selection for Chuseok
When purchasing gifts, price is one of the most crucial factors. It was particularly the case in in Chuseok in 2023. The increased price of many goods added economic pressure to gift givers. In a survey conducted by Lotte Members, about 67% of the 2,000 adult respondents said that the cost burden had an impact on the budget, products, and recipients of their Chuseok gifts. There were people who intended to change their gifts based on the budget or send gifts to fewer people than they did in the past. In the same survey, these respondents selected the price ranges KRW 50,000 to KRW 100,000 and KRW 30,000 to less than KRW 50,000 as the top for the type of gifts they intended to buy for Chuseok.
Packaging: premium, well-structured boxes, Korean traditional bojagi as a small touch
When it comes to packaging, consumers prefer premium and well-structured gift boxes. They commonly choose dark colors like black and navy blue, as well as luxury-associated colors such as gold and emerald green. Additionally, they seek gifts that come in meticulously designed boxes, which convey a sense of tidiness and sophistication. In some cases, they buy products that come in bojagi, a traditional Korean wrapping cloth. This choice isn’t solely for aesthetics but also for eco-friendliness, as they can recycle and repurpose these cloths.
In Korea, SPAM is a popular gift. Its popularity dates back to the post-Korean War era when people sought SPAM as one of the few sources of meat. After the war, CJ CheilJedang, a subsidiary of Korean chaebol CJ Group, acquired the production license for SPAM from Hormel Foods in 1986. Since then, the company has continuously upgraded its gift packaging to offer a premium look while keeping prices affordable, aligning with consumer preferences and ensuring a high-quality gifting experience.
Consumer preferences for Chuseok gift purchases: Timing and channels
Consumers typically plan to purchase food gifts for Chuseok a few days before or one to two weeks prior to the holiday. According to a survey conducted by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, 45.3% of respondents preferred to purchase gift sets one week before the Chuseok holiday, with the second-best option being two weeks before Chuseok.
Furthermore, people still prefer offline channels for purchasing time-sensitive and perishable food items. In the same survey, nearly 50% of customers planned to buy gifts at large supermarkets or traditional markets, while only 9.6% considered online gift shopping.
As people become increasingly comfortable with online shopping, there is a noticeable trend of purchasing and sending non-food related gift products through online platforms. Major platforms catering to this trend include KakaoTalk Gift and Coupang, which offer special promotions and a diverse range of products designed for Chuseok.
Chuseok in Korea goes beyond family, food, and gratitude
- Chuseok, often known as Korea’s Thanksgiving Day, is one of the largest national holidays. The festival is not as big as it was in the past when resources such as food and clothes were scarce. However, it is still widely celebrated.
- Most people travel long distances to visit their families, and they bring gifts with them. There are also more people staying home or traveling instead.
- Gifts given on Chuseok are diversifying, with more people not buying food such as fruits and beef but also massaging equipment and beauty products.
- Buying gifts through offline channels in Korea is still the most common way to buy them. However, the growing number of people buying online can’t be overlooked.
