The nation's Forest Service has raised its forest fire risk advisory by a notch to "caution" from "of interest" ahead of the first full moon festivities for the lunar new year over the weekend, the first such event after the end of pandemic restrictions.

The agency said Friday that it will maintain the advisory until 8 p.m. Monday amid an increased risk of wildfires as events marking the first full moon of the lunar year which falls on Sunday. 

The yearly event includes a traditional ritual to light haystacks on fire, known as "burning the daljip" to rid illnesses and bad omens. In the past decade, an average of seven fires occurred during this time of the year, burning down 44 hectares of forests.

This year, 635 events are scheduled nationwide. The government will operate fire preventative headquarters at some 300 agencies and deploy around 22-thousand personnel at event locations.