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3h ago

Chuseok Travel Puts 6.67 Million on South Korea’s Roads as Evening Congestion Persists

KEC expects conditions to improve overnight with inbound traffic into Seoul easing after 1 a.m.

Cars are stuck on the Gyeongbu Expressway in Seoul on Oct. 3, 2025, the first day of the extended Chuseok holiday. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • By 6 p.m., KEC estimated trips to Seoul would take 5 hours 30 minutes from Busan, 5 hours 10 minutes from Ulsan, and 5 hours 40 minutes from Gwangju, with Seoul to Busan at 5 hours 30 minutes, Ulsan 5 hours 10 minutes, and Gwangju 4 hours 30 minutes.
  • Outbound traffic from Seoul was forecast to ease around 11 p.m., with inbound congestion fading from about 1 a.m. Tuesday.
  • The Gyeongbu and Seohaean expressways experienced the worst bottlenecks, reflecting southbound peaks earlier in the afternoon and northbound peaks later.
  • KEC projected roughly 6.67 million vehicles on expressways on Monday as the seven-day holiday boosted road travel.
  • Afternoon estimates had been far longer earlier in the day, including about 9 hours 40 minutes between Seoul and Busan, before evening conditions improved.