On the first day of the three-day holiday and Hangul Day, heavy traffic is reported on major highways across the country as travelers head out for outings.
According to the Korea Expressway Corporation, as of 9 AM, the estimated travel times from the Seoul tollgate to major cities are 7 hours and 40 minutes to Busan, 7 hours and 20 minutes to Ulsan, 6 hours and 40 minutes to Daegu, 6 hours and 20 minutes to Mokpo, 5 hours and 30 minutes to Gwangju, 4 hours and 50 minutes to Gangneung, and 3 hours and 50 minutes to Daejeon.
Conversely, travel times from these cities back to Seoul are estimated at 5 hours and 50 minutes from Busan, 5 hours and 30 minutes from Ulsan, 4 hours and 50 minutes from Daegu, 3 hours and 50 minutes from Mokpo, 3 hours and 40 minutes from Gwangju, and 2 hours from Daejeon.
Major congestion points include a 12-kilometer stretch near the Gyeongbu Expressway from the Gyeongbu Dongtan Tunnel to the Namsa area, and a 25-kilometer stretch from Bukcheonan to the Cheonan Walnut Rest Area.
On the Seoul-Yangyang Expressway, traffic is slow on the 17-kilometer stretch from Deokso Sampae to Seojong and the 8-kilometer stretch from Dongsan Tollgate to Dongsan 1 Tunnel. The West Coast Expressway towards Mokpo is also experiencing congestion on the 16-kilometer stretch from Maesong to Bal-an and the 11-kilometer stretch from Seopyeongtaek Junction to Seohae Bridge.
The expressway corporation predicts that 5.62 million vehicles will be on the move nationwide today, with 440,000 vehicles traveling from the metropolitan area to regional destinations and 410,000 vehicles heading back to the capital.
Congestion in the regional direction is expected to peak between 10 AM and noon, easing around 7 to 8 PM. In the direction towards Seoul, the heaviest traffic is anticipated between 6 and 7 PM, with conditions expected to improve around 9 to 10 PM.
Meanwhile, major roads in Seoul, including Olympic Boulevard, Gangbyeon North Road, and the Inner Circular Road, are currently experiencing a generally smooth flow.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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