Severe traffic congestion stalled vehicles on a 116-km stretch of the Gyeongbu Expressway heading toward Seoul this Sunday [1].

The gridlock highlights the seasonal strain on South Korea's primary transport artery as millions of citizens travel during the peak summer holiday period. The surge in regional travel often leads to systemic delays that impact logistics and commuter transit across the peninsula.

Reporting for YTN, reporter Song Su-hyun said that the Seoul-bound segment is currently experiencing extreme congestion [1]. The affected area spans approximately 116 km [1], with significant delays noted near the Cheongju rest area, and the Seochon interchange [1].

In contrast, the traffic flow moving away from the capital toward regional provinces remains significantly clearer. Song said that the congestion in the provincial direction is only about 24 km [1].

A YTN news anchor said that highways have been much more crowded than usual during weekends and holidays as the summer vacation season begins [1]. The imbalance between the two directions suggests a massive wave of travelers returning to the city after holiday excursions.

Local authorities continue to monitor the flow of vehicles to manage the bottleneck. The Gyeongbu Expressway serves as the critical link between Seoul and the southern regions of the country, making it the primary focal point for holiday traffic management [1].

“The Seoul-bound segment is currently experiencing extreme congestion.”

The disparity between the 116-km Seoul-bound jam and the 24-km provincial jam indicates a synchronized mass migration of the population back to the capital. This recurring seasonal pattern underscores the heavy reliance on the Gyeongbu Expressway, showing that even with modern infrastructure, the volume of summer holiday travel exceeds the road's capacity during peak return windows.