On the afternoon of the 26th, just before the Lunar New Year holiday, traffic congestion was observed on the southbound lanes of the Gyeongbu Expressway near Jamwon IC in Seocho-gu, Seoul. According to the Korean Expressway Corporation, as of 5 PM on the 26th, travel times from the Seoul tollgate to major cities via car are estimated as follows: Busan 5 hours, Ulsan 4 hours and 30 minutes, Daegu and Mokpo 4 hours, Gwangju 3 hours and 40 minutes, Daejeon 2 hours and 10 minutes, and Gangneung 2 hours and 40 minutes.
The estimated travel times from each city back to Seoul are: Busan 4 hours and 30 minutes, Ulsan 4 hours and 20 minutes, Daegu 3 hours and 20 minutes, Mokpo 3 hours and 50 minutes, Gwangju 3 hours and 30 minutes, Daejeon 1 hour and 50 minutes, and Gangneung 3 hours.
On the Seohaean Expressway towards Mokpo, there are slowdowns near Geumcheon (1 km), around Sunchan Tunnel (2 km), from Paltan Interchange to Hwaseong Rest Area (4 km), from Seopyeongtaek to Seohaedaegyo Bridge (6 km), and from Dongseochoen Interchange to Daemyung Tunnel (7 km).
On the Jungbu Expressway towards Nami, traffic is slow from Hobeop Interchange to Moga (2 km), around Jincheon to Jincheon Tunnel (9 km), and from around Ochang to Nami Interchange (11 km).
On the Gyeongbu Expressway towards Seoul, congestion is noted around Oksan (2 km), from Oksan Interchange to Cheongju Rest Area (4 km), near Anseong Interchange (3 km), and from Yangjae to Banpo (5 km). On the Seohaean Expressway towards Seoul, traffic is slow around Hwaseong Rest Area (2 km), from Maesong Rest Area to Yongdam Tunnel (3 km), and from Iljik Interchange to Geumcheon (4 km).
Apart from major routes, traffic flow is relatively smooth in both directions. The heaviest congestion towards ancestral hometowns was expected between 12 PM and 1 PM and is anticipated to clear around 10 PM to 11 PM. For the return direction, the worst congestion is expected around 4 PM to 5 PM and should clear around 11 PM to 12 AM. It’s projected that around 410,000 vehicles will head to local regions from the Seoul metropolitan area and 300,000 vehicles will return, totaling an estimated 4.25 million vehicles moving nationwide.
Furthermore, a survey by the Korea Transport Institute indicates that the morning of the 28th, just before the Lunar New Year, will see the most people traveling to their hometowns. The most preferred time for going home is the morning of the day before Lunar New Year, with travel times expected to be about 7 hours and 40 minutes from Seoul to Busan and 7 hours to Mokpo. The return journey on the afternoon of the day after Lunar New Year shows that many prefer this period, with travel times anticipated as 8 hours and 20 minutes from Busan to Seoul and 7 hours from Mokpo to Seoul.