Constitution Day Holiday Sees Widespread Traffic Jams... Seoul to Busan Takes 7 Hours 50 Minutes

On July 17, the start of the Constitution Day holiday, a surge in vehicles has caused congestion on major expressways across the nation.

According to Korea Expressway Corporation, an estimated 5.75 million vehicles are expected to be on the roads throughout the day, marking the peak traffic volume during the Constitution Day holiday. The number of vehicles traveling from the Seoul metropolitan area to other regions is projected to be 430,000, while those heading from other regions to the Seoul area is expected to reach 410,000.

Yonhap News Agency

Based on tollgate measurements, the maximum travel time from Seoul to Busan is anticipated to reach 7 hours and 50 minutes. Travel from Seoul to Gwangju is expected to take 5 hours and 40 minutes, to Mokpo 6 hours and 40 minutes, and to Gangneung 7 hours.

Congestion on roads heading toward regional areas began around 6 to 7 a.m., and congestion toward Seoul started around 9 to 10 a.m. The traffic jam is expected to ease by around 6 to 7 p.m. for the regional direction, and by around 7 to 8 p.m. for the Seoul direction.

As of 11:30 a.m., there are traffic jams at multiple locations, including a 1-kilometer stretch near Dodong Junction on the Gyeongbu Expressway, an 18-kilometer section from Wonju Junction to the vicinity of Saemal on the Yeongdong Expressway toward Gangneung, and a 7-kilometer section near Hyeonpung Junction on the Jungbu Inland Expressway.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.