South Korea kicks off the Lunar New Year

SEOUL, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Major traffic jams were expected in South Korea as tens of millions of people traveled to their hometowns to celebrate the Lunar New Year with their families.

About 31.54 million people were expected to travel either by car, bus, train or plane to their hometowns for the holiday, Yonhap news agency reported.

The Lunar New Year and Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving, are the two major holidays in which South Koreans gather as families to celebrate.

Early Saturday, President Lee Myung-bak and first lady Kim Yoon-ok were seen shopping at a traditional market, buying beef, snacks and other items.

Lee is expected to spend some of his vacation developing a proposal aimed at boosting the economy, as well as plan out the last year of his presidency, presidential officials said.