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Traffic congestion expected to peak during Chuseok holiday travel period

Published: 29 Sep. 2025, 11:52 Updated: 29 Sep. 2025, 19:25

Vehicles clog the Seoul-bound section of the Gyeongbu Expressway near the Jamwon Interchange in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on the morning of Sept. 17, 2024, ahead of the Chuseok holiday. [YONHAP]

Traffic congestion during the upcoming weeklong holiday period, which includes the Chuseok harvest holiday and runs from National Foundation Day on Friday to Hangul Day on Oct. 9, is expected to reach its peak on Chuseok day, Oct. 6.

Conditions are forecast to return to normal levels beginning in the afternoon on Wednesday, Oct. 8. Tmap Mobility and SK Telecom released traffic forecasts on Monday based on past Chuseok travel data collected through Tmap, the companies’ navigation app.

Thursday and Saturday are expected to be the most congested days for those heading to their hometowns, according to the data. A trip from Seoul to Gangneung departing at 11 a.m. on Thursday is projected to take 3 hours and 43 minutes, while a trip from Seoul to Gwangju departing at 3 p.m. may take about 4 hours and 43 minutes.

Chuseok day is forecast to see the worst traffic, with late departures and early returns overlapping. Congestion is expected to begin building from 8 a.m. and peak around noon. At that time, travel from Seoul to Busan could take up to 6 hours and 41 minutes while travel from Seoul to Daejeon could take 3 hours and 20 minutes.

The best time to depart for homebound travel is expected to be the early morning hours of Friday, from midnight to 4 a.m. During that window, travel from Seoul to Busan is estimated at 4 hours and 22 minutes, to Gwangju 3 hours and 10 minutes, to Gangneung 2 hours and 34 minutes and to Daejeon around 2 hours.

Cars crowd the Gyeongbu Expressway at Jamwon IC in Seocho District, southern Seoul, in September 2024. [YONHAP]

For return trips, the highest level of congestion is expected at noon on Oct. 6. A journey from Busan to Seoul departing at 11 a.m. could take as long as 7 hours and 50 minutes. Those leaving Gwangju at 1 p.m. may face a 6-hour and 24-minute trip to Seoul, while travelers from Gangneung could spend 4 hours and 1 minute on the road.

Heavy traffic is expected to persist through midday on Oct. 7 and 8, but conditions are forecast to improve beginning the afternoon of Oct. 8. Traffic on the final day of the holiday, Oct. 9, is expected to be similar to normal weekday levels.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]