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Chuseok Rush Clogs South Korea’s Highways on First Two Travel Days

Officials forecast the heaviest traffic on Oct. 5, with conditions easing by the afternoon of Oct. 8.

Overview

  • Expressways saw severe backups on Oct. 4, with the Korea Expressway Corporation estimating 5.37 million vehicles on the road and forecasting southbound congestion to peak around noon to 1 p.m. and ease by 8 to 9 p.m., with northbound delays peaking between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
  • On Oct. 3, early estimates put travel from Seoul at about 6½ to 7 hours to Busan and around six hours to Ulsan and Daegu, with 5.24 million vehicles forecast nationwide and outbound traffic from the capital region peaking around midday.
  • Incheon International Airport expects roughly 2.45 million passengers from Oct. 3 to 9, averaging 223,000 daily, with Oct. 3 projected as the busiest day and 129,000 outbound travelers.
  • Korail is running 10 additional trains per day through Oct. 12, providing about 330,000 seats daily, and reported nearly 80 percent overall reservations and a 95.3 percent booking rate on southbound routes as of Oct. 3.
  • Bottlenecks included a 54-kilometer crawl on the Gyeongbu Expressway near Ipjang to Cheongju Junction and slow-going stretches on the Seohaean, Jungbu Naeryuk, Jungbu, and Yeongdong corridors.