According to the Korea Expressway Corp., estimated travel time to the Seoul tollgate as of 9 a.m. was seven hours from Busan, six hours and 40 minutes from Ulsan, six hours and 30 minutes from Mokpo, six hours from Daegu, five hours and 20 minutes from Gwangju, three hours and 40 minutes from Gangneung and two hours and 30 minutes from Daejeon.
Traffic in the opposite direction was lighter. Travel from Seoul was estimated at five hours and 10 minutes to Busan, four hours and 50 minutes to Ulsan, four hours and 10 minutes to Daegu and three hours and 20 minutes to Gwangju.
Traffic toward Seoul was getting heavier, while outbound traffic from the capital was easing.
Traffic was slow on several major highways, including a 6-kilometer stretch of the Seoul-bound Gyeongbu Expressway near Cheongju and a 5-kilometer section of the Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway near Chungju.
The expressway operator expects traffic heading out of the Seoul metropolitan area to peak between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and ease between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Return traffic toward Seoul is also expected to peak between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., with congestion likely to continue until around 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday.
About 5.9 million vehicles are expected to use roads nationwide Saturday. The operator estimates that 380,000 vehicles will travel from the Seoul metropolitan area to other regions, while 520,000 will head toward the capital region.
Major roads within Seoul, including Olympic-daero, Gangbyeonbuk-ro and the Inner Ring Road, remained relatively clear as of the morning.
AJP Takeaways
- Chuseok return traffic toward Seoul intensified Saturday, with the Busan-to-Seoul trip estimated at seven hours.
- About 5.9 million vehicles are expected on roads nationwide, including 520,000 heading toward the Seoul metropolitan area.
- Return traffic is expected to peak between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and ease early Sunday.
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