South Korean motorists are facing heavy highway congestion across the country as the summer vacation period begins this week [1].
The surge in vehicle volume creates significant bottlenecks on primary routes, disrupting travel for thousands of citizens heading to coastal and rural destinations.
According to data reported as of 9 a.m., congestion in local-direction lanes nationwide reached 65 km [1]. In contrast, Seoul-direction lanes saw 20 km of congestion [1]. The disparity highlights a mass exodus from the capital toward vacation spots.
Specific hotspots have emerged on major expressways. On the Seoul-Yangyang Expressway near Jo-yang, an 11 km stretch of traffic was reported in the Yangyang direction [1]. Similarly, the Yeongdong Expressway experienced a 14 km congested stretch near the Wonju branch for those traveling toward Gangneung [1].
These delays have significantly impacted travel times for those heading to the east coast. Some motorists are facing estimated travel times of up to four hours to reach Gangneung [1].
"As the summer vacation season officially begins, vehicle congestion has started to occur in various places on national highways," a YTN anchor said [1].
Reporting from the field, YTN reporter Kim Yi-young said that traffic volume began increasing steadily around 8 a.m. at toll plazas [1]. Kim said that by 9 a.m., the nationwide congestion patterns had solidified with the aforementioned distances of 65 km for local routes and 20 km for those returning to Seoul [1].
“Drivers face delays of up to four hours to reach Gangneung.”
The concentrated traffic on the Seoul-Yangyang and Yeongdong expressways underscores the seasonal pressure on South Korea's infrastructure during peak holiday windows. Because the congestion is heavily weighted toward local-direction lanes, it indicates a synchronized departure of the urban population, which typically leads to sustained delays until the peak vacation window stabilizes.
