"Following the Navi, Trapped on a Rice Field Path"... Detour Road Trouble on the Way Home

Car Owner Trapped on Farm Road Following Directions
"Took 5 Hours to Travel 2km"
All Drivers Using the Same Navigation App

Cars trapped and unable to move after following the navigation app during the Chuseok holiday. Photo by Social Networking Service (SNS) 'Seuredeu' capture

During the Chuseok holiday, a story emerged about vehicles following navigation instructions and ending up one after another in rice paddies, causing severe traffic congestion.

On the 17th, Mr. A posted on his social networking service (SNS), "Cars deceived by the navigation. Hundreds of cars have been stuck for an hour, lined up on a strange farm road." The attached photo showed cars densely lined up between vast rice fields. The width of the road was barely enough for one car to pass.

Mr. B, who read the post, commented, "Is this near Pyeongtaek? I experienced the same thing before," and added, "It was on the route from Asan to Pyeongtaek." Another user, Mr. C, also said, "I only had 5 km left to my destination, but I've been stuck here for 30 minutes," and explained, "The navigation guided me through the farm road saying it was faster, but everyone using this app ended up here. There's no way to go back." He added, "There were four merging points," and "It took 3 hours just to get out of the farm road at Inju Intersection in Asan."

Another driver, Mr. D, who was on the same road, said, "I was heading from Gwangju to Bucheon, and because the Seohaean Expressway toward Haengdamdo was heavily congested, the navigation directed me to a national road, but I ended up trapped on a rice paddy embankment," and lamented, "It took 5 hours to cover 2 km due to severe congestion. Both adults and children were urinating by the roadside, causing chaos." This road is known as a farm road leading from Inju-myeon, Asan-si, Chungnam, toward Pyeongtaekho. It was confirmed that all of them used the same navigation app.

Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "The sky in the photo is ironically very beautiful," "Maybe they were deliberately sent there to enjoy the scenery," "Navigation apps sometimes make mistakes, so you have to check carefully," and "Everyone really suffered on the road for a long time."