Seoul: Heavy traffic began to build on major roads and highways across South Korea on Sunday as people headed to their hometowns for family reunions a day ahead of Chuseok. Chuseok, the Korean fall harvest festival, falls on Monday, but South Koreans are enjoying an extended holiday from Friday to Thursday, as it falls between National Foundation Day and Hangeul Day, which marks the creation of the Korean alphabet. Traditionally, Koreans return to their hometowns to spend time with family and pay respects at ancestral altars and graves.
According to Yonhap News Agency, as of 8 a.m., travel times were estimated at 7 1/2 hours from Seoul to the southeastern city of Busan, six hours and 20 minutes to the southeastern city of Daegu, and three hours and 20 minutes to the central city of Daejeon, according to the Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC). The KEC said outbound traffic from Seoul was expected to peak around noon and ease between 8-9 p.m.
A total of 5.75 million vehicles were forecast nationwide Sunday, including 470,000 departing the Seoul metropolitan area for other provinces and 460,000 heading toward Seoul from other regions.