(LEAD) Traffic eases on 1st night of Chuseok as people head home

Thursday evening saw a significant easing of traffic congestion on Korean highways as people embarked on their journey back home to reunite with family members during the first day of the Chuseok holiday period. This year, the Chuseok holiday, which marks the fall harvest, spans from Thursday to Sunday. Traditionally, Koreans return to their hometowns during Chuseok to pay respects at their ancestors' graves and spend time with loved ones.

As of 7 p.m., the Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC) reported that travel time from Seoul to Busan had shortened to four hours and 40 minutes, a reduction from previous congestion. The journey to Daegu now takes approximately three hours and 30 minutes, while the trip to Gwangju has been reduced to three hours and 20 minutes. The time required to reach Daejeon from these cities has been shortened to three hours and 10 minutes.

Conversely, the travel time from Busan to Seoul is estimated at four hours and 30 minutes, Daegu to Seoul at three hours and 30 minutes, Gwangju to Seoul at three hours and 20 minutes, and Daejeon to Seoul at just one hour and 30 minutes. The Korea Expressway Corp. anticipates that approximately 6.16 million vehicles will be on the road nationwide on Thursday, with around 510,000 cars departing from the greater Seoul area and 380,000 vehicles heading towards the capital from other regions.