Chuseok Return Traffic Peaks; Busan-Seoul Takes 7 Hrs

Highway congestion from Chuseok holiday return traffic

Written by

As of September 26, 2026, return traffic is building nationwide on the third day of the Chuseok holiday, Korea's harvest festival, as highways clog with drivers heading back to Seoul. The Korea Expressway Corporation expects 5.9 million vehicles on the road today, with the Busan-to-Seoul drive taking roughly seven hours.

About 5.9 millionVehicles expected on national highways today

520,000Vehicles expected to travel from the provinces to Seoul today

About 7 hoursEstimated Busan-to-Seoul return drive time

Key points

About 5.9 million vehicles are expected on national highways today, the third day of the Chuseok holiday.
Traffic heading into Seoul is forecast to peak in the late afternoon.
More vehicles are traveling from the provinces to the greater Seoul area than in the opposite direction.
Congestion has built since morning on major routes including the Gyeongbu and Nonsan-Cheonan expressways.

Return traffic has kicked into high gear on the third day of the Chuseok holiday. With far more cars on the road than a typical Saturday, highways nationwide are seeing slow, stop-and-go conditions.

According to the Korea Expressway Corporation, roughly 5.9 million vehicles are expected to use the country's highways today. Of those, about 380,000 are heading from the greater Seoul area out to the provinces, while a larger share — roughly 520,000 — are making the return trip from the provinces back to Seoul.

Traffic heading toward Seoul is expected to start building early in the morning and peak in the late afternoon before easing, with conditions not fully clearing until early the next morning. The opposite direction, out of Seoul, is expected to peak around the same late-afternoon window and ease by evening.

Based on morning tollgate data, the Expressway Corporation projects the Busan-to-Seoul drive will take about seven hours. Trips from Daegu, Mokpo, and Ulsan to Seoul are expected to run over six hours as well, while closer cities like Daejeon and Gangneung should take a more manageable three hours or so. Traveling the opposite direction, from Seoul out to the provinces, tends to be quicker — the Seoul-to-Busan trip, for instance, is estimated at just over five hours.

Slow sections have already been reported since morning on the return-bound stretches of major routes, including the Gyeongbu, Nonsan-Cheonan, Seohaean, and Jungbu Naeryuk expressways. Separately, tolls are waived nationwide for the four days of this Chuseok holiday, which takes some of the sting out of an otherwise long slog for returning travelers.

In Korea right nowFor many Koreans, holiday traffic jams are as much a Chuseok tradition as the holiday itself, but this year's four-day toll waiver has encouraged some travelers to take their time rather than rush back. Delaying the return by a day or driving overnight to dodge the worst of the congestion has become a common talking point as the holiday winds down.

FAQ

Why do highways get so congested during Chuseok?

Korea's tradition of nationwide family gatherings during the holiday means huge numbers of people travel to and from their hometowns on the same few days.

When is the best time to travel to avoid traffic?

Based on this forecast, the early morning hours or late at night are expected to be relatively lighter.

Are highway tolls always free during holidays?

No. Tolls are typically waived temporarily during the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays, and this year's waiver covers four days.