Lunar New Year exodus expected to peak next Tuesday

By Park Jin-young Posted : February 11, 2026, 10:51 Updated : February 11, 2026, 10:51
Yonhap
People visit their ancestral graves in a cemetery in Incheon, Gyeonggi Province on Feb. 8, 2026, ahead of the Lunar New Year's Day.
SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Holiday traffic is expected to peak on Lunar New Year's Day, which falls next Tuesday, according to SK Telecom's navigation app TMAP.

With the country's biggest holiday of the year coming in the latter part of the weeklong break, the annual mass exodus of people heading to their ancestral hometowns is expected to spread out, while their return trips will be concentrated early next week, making Feb. 17 the most likely day for heavy congestion.

The next busiest day would be Friday, as some people may travel early to avoid heavy traffic and spend the later part of the break at home.

The average driving time from Seoul is estimated at six hours and two minutes to Busan, four hours and 40 minutes to Gwangju, three hours and 40 minutes to Daejeon, and three hours and 34 minutes to Gangneung, about an hour longer than usual overall.

Their trip back to Seoul next Tuesday is expected to take over seven hours from Busan, more than five hours from Gwangju, and about three hours and 30 minutes from Daejeon.

But traffic is expected to remain at normal levels during late-night and early-morning hours.

The app will also offer additional travel information including toll fees and parking availability.

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