Chuseok Expressway Congestion Begins... Busan to Seoul Takes 6 Hours 50 Minutes

On the morning of October 6, the day of Chuseok, major expressways across the country are experiencing heavy traffic congestion as people travel to and from their hometowns.

According to Korea Expressway Corporation, as of 8 a.m. on this day, the estimated travel times from the Seoul Tollgate to major cities nationwide are: 6 hours and 50 minutes to Busan, 6 hours and 30 minutes to Ulsan, 6 hours to Mokpo, 5 hours and 50 minutes to Daegu, 5 hours and 40 minutes to Gwangju, 3 hours to Gangneung, and 2 hours and 20 minutes to Daejeon.

Conversely, the estimated travel times from each city to Seoul are: 6 hours and 50 minutes from Busan, 6 hours and 30 minutes from Ulsan, 5 hours and 50 minutes from Daegu, 5 hours and 10 minutes from Mokpo, 4 hours and 30 minutes from Gwangju, 3 hours and 10 minutes from Gangneung, and 1 hour and 30 minutes from Daejeon.

On the Seoul-bound lanes of the Gyeongbu Expressway, traffic jams continue for 7 kilometers near Yangjae to Banpo and for 2 kilometers around the Chilgok Interchange.

On the Busan-bound lanes, traffic is slow in several sections: 2 kilometers from Daejeon Tunnel to Biryeong Interchange, 5 kilometers near Oksan Interchange to Oksan, 11 kilometers from Cheonan Interchange to near Cheonan Hoduh Rest Area, and 8 kilometers from near North Cheonan to near Cheonan.

On the 13th, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, the southbound lanes of the Gyeongbu Expressway viewed from Jamwon IC in Seocho-gu, Seoul, are congested as returning holiday travelers and commuters converge. Photo by Kang Jinhyung aymsdream@

On the Mokpo-bound lanes of the Seohaean Expressway, vehicles are moving slowly in sections such as 12 kilometers from Seopyeongtaek Interchange to Seohae Bridge, 16 kilometers from Bibong to near Baran, and 5 kilometers from Seoseoul Tollgate to near Sunsan Tunnel.

On the southbound Jungbu Expressway, stop-and-go traffic is occurring for 2 kilometers from Hobup Interchange to near Moga and for 2 kilometers from Majang Interchange to Hobup Interchange. On the Gangneung-bound Yeongdong Expressway, congestion is observed for 6 kilometers from Yongin to near Yangji Tunnel and for 4 kilometers from near Maseong Tunnel to Yongin.

The corporation expects that, for those heading to their hometowns, congestion will begin around 6 to 7 a.m., peak between 3 to 4 p.m., and ease around 11 p.m. to midnight on the 7th.

For those returning to the city, congestion is expected to start around 7 to 8 a.m., peak between 4 to 5 p.m., and clear around 1 to 2 a.m. on the 7th.

On this day, total nationwide traffic volume is projected to reach approximately 6.67 million vehicles. Of these, the corporation estimates that 490,000 vehicles will move from the Seoul metropolitan area to other regions, while 480,000 will travel from other regions to the metropolitan area.