Liberation Day Holiday Ends with Major Traffic Jams Across South Korea

South Korea is bracing for severe traffic congestion on Sunday, the last day of the three-day Liberation Day holiday weekend. Travelers heading back to the capital region are facing extensive delays on major expressways across the country.

According to the Korea Expressway Corporation, estimated travel times from major cities to Seoul are substantial. From Busan, the journey could take as long as 5 hours and 20 minutes, while travelers from Ulsan may face 4 hours and 50 minutes. Other cities like Mokpo, Daegu, and Gwangju will also see significant travel times of 4 hours 20 minutes, 4 hours 10 minutes, and 3 hours 20 minutes, respectively.

The corporation anticipates that the heavy traffic heading towards the Seoul metropolitan area will begin intensifying around 11 a.m. and reach its peak between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. The congestion is expected to persist until around 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. before gradually easing. By noon, the travel time from Busan to Seoul could extend to 5 hours and 50 minutes, indicating a challenging afternoon for many.

In contrast, traffic flow in the opposite direction, for those leaving the capital region for the countryside, is expected to remain relatively smooth. The total number of vehicles using expressways nationwide is estimated at approximately 5.05 million for the day. Of these, 420,000 vehicles are expected to enter the Seoul metropolitan area, while 380,000 will be leaving it.