South Korea's president turns traffic reporter By News from Elsewhere...

...as found by BBC Monitoring Published duration 2 October 2017

image copyright Blue House image caption President Moon Jae-in dispensed traffic news and advice to radio listeners

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has surprised listeners by turning up as a radio station traffic reporter for the day.

The country's leader took to the airwaves from the studios of the TBS broadcaster in the north-western city of Seongnam as part of his campaign to get closer to the people, the KBS news website reports

TBS, or Traffic Broadcast System , is a radio station owned by Seoul's local government, and it airs traffic and travel news nationally.

Mr Moon's appearance on the station is well-timed, as it falls during Chuseok, a time in which Koreans traditionally travel to their hometowns, to be with their relatives and to honour their ancestors.

"Hello, this is Moon Jae-in... You must be surprised that I've suddenly turned up on the broadcast," the president told listeners, according to the Yonhap News Agency

According to the president's Facebook page , he also offered safety advice to drivers to ensure that they arrive home in one piece.

"Don't forget to wear a seat belt," he said, adding that drivers on long journeys should be encouraged to take breaks.

"The most dangerous thing during a long-distance drive is 'sleepy driving'," President Moon also told TBS listeners.

Reporting by Alistair Coleman, Upasana Bhat

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