Return Highway Traffic Jam Begins... Peak Expected Between 11 AM and 12 PM

5 Hours 40 Minutes from Seoul to Busan as of 7 AM

Vehicles are moving slowly on the southbound lanes of the Gyeongbu Expressway near Jamwon IC in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 10th, one day before the Lunar New Year holiday, the biggest traditional holiday of the nation. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] On the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday today, traffic congestion on highways nationwide is increasing on the homecoming routes.

Since 7 a.m., vehicle flow has increased mainly near Cheonan on the Gyeongbu Expressway, near Yeoju on the Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway, and near Seohae Bridge on the Seohaean Expressway.

The Korea Expressway Corporation predicted that the homecoming traffic will be heaviest between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. today, and the return traffic will be heaviest between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.

As of 7 a.m., it is expected to take 5 hours and 40 minutes from Seoul to Busan, 4 hours and 20 minutes to Gwangju, 4 hours and 50 minutes to Mokpo, and 3 hours and 20 minutes to Gangneung.

The Expressway Corporation also forecasted that the congestion on the homecoming routes will ease between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., and on the return routes between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Therefore, they added that departing after 3 p.m. can help avoid traffic jams.

Meanwhile, the Expressway Corporation expects that 3.78 million vehicles will use the nationwide highways today. This is 19% fewer than on the first day of last year’s Lunar New Year holiday.