Traffic Jam Continues on First Day of Seol Holiday... Seoul to Busan Takes 6 Hours 10 Minutes

On the 28th, one day before the Lunar New Year holiday, vehicles were moving slowly near Bukpyeongtaepyeong IC on the Pyeongtaek-Hwaseong Expressway, as seen from a police helicopter inspecting the homecoming traffic. (Aerial filming cooperation = Sergeant Mun Heung-ju and Inspector Shim Dong-guk, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency) / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] On the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday and Saturday, the 29th, vehicle congestion continues on major expressways nationwide in the afternoon.

According to Korea Expressway Corporation, as of noon on this day, vehicles are moving slowly over a total distance of 32 km on the Gyeongbu Expressway heading toward Busan, including the sections from Banpo to Seocho, near Namsa, from Cheonan Rest Area to near Namyi Junction, and from Daejeon to Biryong Junction.

The Seohaean Expressway heading toward Mokpo is congested over a 9 km section near Seopyeongtaek Junction to Seohae Bridge.

The Jungbu Expressway heading toward Namyi is experiencing slow traffic over a total of 21 km, including the areas near Dong Seoul Tollgate to Sangok Junction, Hoebup Junction to Moga area, and near Daeso Junction to near Jincheon.

The Yeongdong Expressway heading toward Gangneung is congested over 13 km sections, including from Wonju Junction to near Wonju, and near Maseong Tunnel to near Yangji Tunnel.

The Seoul Metropolitan Area 1st Ring Expressway (Seoul Outer Ring Expressway) heading toward Guri is slow over a total of 7 km from Seoul Junction to Songnae, and toward Ilsan over 7 km from near Sorae Tunnel to Jangsu.

On this day, the nationwide traffic volume is expected to be 4.76 million vehicles, with 450,000 vehicles moving from the metropolitan area to local areas, and 370,000 vehicles moving from local areas to the metropolitan area.

The Expressway Corporation analyzed that "the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday will be the most congested period for the homecoming direction during the holiday."

Traffic congestion on the homecoming route is expected to ease between 7 and 8 p.m. on this day.

As of 12 noon, the travel time by passenger car from Seoul Tollgate to major cities nationwide is 6 hours 10 minutes to Busan, 4 hours 50 minutes to Gwangju, 5 hours 50 minutes to Ulsan, 5 hours 10 minutes to Daegu, 2 hours 50 minutes to Daejeon, and 3 hours 20 minutes to Gangneung.