Office workers plan to spend an average of W529,000 on their vacation this summer (US$1=W1,135), according to a poll of 500 office workers and 500 companies by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry released Thursday. The figure is up 6.3 percent from last year's W498,000.

Some 41.6 percent of respondents said they plan to spend more than last year, as against a mere 9.7 percent who said they will spend less. Lee Kyung-sang of the KCCI said, "It seems that the recession isn't dampening office workers' desire to enjoy their summer holidays."

The peak vacation season in late July and early August could see less congestion at airports this year. Some 51.5 percent of respondents said they will go on holiday during that time, 6.1 percentage points less than last year. Next came mid-August (13.6 percent), late August (9.1 percent), September (6.7 percent), and between late June and mid-July (4.5 percent).