SEOUL - An estimated 5.2 million vehicles were expected to traverse the nation's roads on Friday, the inaugural day of the Lunar New Year holiday, as South Koreans embarked on journeys to their ancestral homes.
According to Yonhap News Agency, traffic projections included about 490,000 vehicles departing the greater Seoul area for provincial destinations and another 370,000 making their way into the capital. The agency anticipated peak traffic congestion en route to provincial areas between 11 a.m. and noon, with conditions expected to improve by 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Conversely, the heaviest traffic returning to Seoul was predicted between noon and 1 p.m., with a forecasted easing between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. This year's Lunar New Year, celebrated on Saturday, has extended the holiday to four days, incorporating Monday as a temporary holiday.