(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Seoul, South Korea – Major highways across the country were jam‑packed on Monday as millions of drivers stayed on the road for Chuseok, Korea’s “Thanksgiving” holiday. According to Yonhap news agency, traffic was so heavy that many travelers were still heading home after family visits, while others stayed out to celebrate.
Chuseok falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which this year landed on October 6. It’s a time when families honor ancestors, share feasts, and return to hometowns. The break was extra long this year, stretching from Friday, October 3, to Thursday, October 9. That stretch includes National Foundation Day (October 3) and Hangeul Day (October 9), which celebrates the Korean alphabet.
The holidays pushed travel volumes beyond normal peaks. The Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC) said both inbound and outbound traffic stayed heavy throughout the day. At 6 p.m., estimated drive times from Busan to Seoul were about 5 hours 30 minutes; from Ulsan, 5 hours 10 minutes; and from Gwangju, 5 hours 40 minutes. Going the other way, Seoul‑to‑Busan took roughly 5 h 30 min, Seoul‑to‑Ulsan about 5 h 10 min, and Seoul‑to‑Gwangju about 4 h 30 min.
Outward traffic from Seoul was expected to ease around 11 p.m., while inbound traffic should smooth out from about 1 a.m. on Tuesday, the KEC added. Nationwide, around 6.67 million vehicles were on the road on Monday.
The heavy congestion shows how people use the Chuseok holiday to travel home or explore domestic destinations. It also highlights the backbone strength of South Korea’s expressway network during peak seasonal travel.
Source: aninews
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