How Chuseok gifts are changing amid COVID-19 pandemic

코로나19 시대 첫 대목…확 바뀐 추석선물 新 풍속도The Korean thanksgiving holiday of Chuseok, coming up next week, is normally a time for big family get-togethers, travel and shopping.Less so this year, though, as our Bae Eun-ji reports.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.Instead, she will buy this year's Chuseok gifts online and have them delivered."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."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."Pre-order sales this year have gone up 40 percent compared to last year."Another Chuseok trend that has changed is the kind of gifts people are giving.Before the pandemic, fruits, meat, and traditional snacks used to be popular Chuseok presents.But this year, more people are looking for health-related products such as ginseng for their holiday gifts.This man and his wife bought ginseng products and had them delivered straight to their relatives."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."COVID-19 has also created other never-before-seen Chuseok gifts."Even hand sanitizers and masks are on display for people to give to their loved ones over the holiday."This year, it turns out that *not* going to visit your family could be the best way to show your love during Chuseok.Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News.