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South Korea’s Final Lunar New Year Day Triggers Record Expressway Congestion

Updated (7 articles)
  • The Gyeongbu Expressway in southern Seoul is packed with vehicles on Feb. 13, 2026. (Yonhap)
    The Gyeongbu Expressway in southern Seoul is packed with vehicles on Feb. 13, 2026. (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    The Gyeongbu Expressway in southern Seoul is packed with vehicles on Feb. 13, 2026. (Yonhap) Source Full size
  • The Gyeongbu Expressway in southern Seoul is packed with vehicles on Feb. 15, 2026. (Yonhap)
    The Gyeongbu Expressway in southern Seoul is packed with vehicles on Feb. 15, 2026. (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    The Gyeongbu Expressway in southern Seoul is packed with vehicles on Feb. 15, 2026. (Yonhap) Source Full size
  • The Gyeongbu Expressway in southern Seoul is packed with vehicles on Feb. 15, 2026. (Yonhap)
    The Gyeongbu Expressway in southern Seoul is packed with vehicles on Feb. 15, 2026. (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    The Gyeongbu Expressway in southern Seoul is packed with vehicles on Feb. 15, 2026. (Yonhap) Source Full size

Final Day Holiday Traffic Swells Nationwide The Seol holiday began over the weekend and concluded on Wednesday, Feb 18, prompting a massive return‑home wave. Authorities projected 4.85 million vehicles on the roads, including roughly 350,000 cars departing Seoul and 490,000 arriving from other provinces[1]. The Korea Expressway Corp (KEC) warned that the surge would create the heaviest traffic of the season across the nation[1].

Gyeongbu Expressway Travel Times Exceed Five Hours At 8 a.m. on Feb 18, trips to Seoul took 5 h 20 min from Busan, 4 h 20 min from Daegu, and 2 h 20 min from Daejeon, marking a dramatic slowdown on the main Seoul‑Busan corridor[1]. The previous day’s estimates were even longer, with journeys from Busan reaching seven hours and from Daegu six hours[2]. These figures illustrate how congestion intensified as the holiday wound down[1][2].

Mid‑Afternoon Peak Followed by Late‑Night Relief KEC expected inbound traffic to peak between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., with conditions improving after 11 p.m. on Feb 18[1]. Outbound flow was forecast to ease around 8–9 p.m., and inbound traffic to clear between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. the following morning[2]. Similar peak windows—1 p.m.–2 p.m. outbound and 3 p.m.–4 p.m. inbound—were identified for the fourth day, confirming a consistent pattern of congestion and subsequent easing[3].

Fourth Day Vehicle Volume Tops Six Million On Feb 17, KEC estimated 6.15 million vehicles nationwide, up from 5.05 million the day before, underscoring the escalating travel demand[2]. About 440,000 cars left the greater Seoul area while roughly 470,000 headed toward Seoul, contributing to the severe bottlenecks on major routes[2][3]. The high volume and balanced outbound/inbound flows strained the expressway network throughout the holiday period[2][3].

Sources

Timeline

Dec 4, 2025 – Seoul and surrounding Gyeonggi Province receive the season’s first heavy snowfall, with accumulation exceeding 5 cm per hour; the interior ministry raises the disaster warning to “caution,” activates the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters at Level 1, and issues a disaster alert to warn of traffic disruptions [7].

Dec 4, 2025 (evening) – Snowfall intensifies, prompting authorities to spray calcium chloride on roads and declare an emergency disaster alert; major expressways experience snail‑pace traffic and temporary closures as the cold snap is expected to continue through Friday [7].

Dec 5, 2025 – Seoul Metropolitan Government adds 20 extra subway runs during the morning rush and extends bus dispatch by 30 minutes, while all road closures are lifted overnight, aiming to restore normal commuter flow after the heavy snow [6].

Feb 5, 2026 – Seoul Metro extends subway service until 1 a.m. on Feb 17‑18, adds 128 extra trips across Lines 1‑9 and other lines, and adjusts bus schedules to serve five major train stations at 1 a.m.; 72 emergency medical facilities remain open 24 hours throughout the Feb 16‑18 Lunar New Year holiday, bolstering public safety [4].

Feb 16‑18, 2026 – The three‑day Lunar New Year holiday (Seol) runs, with an extra two days added because the preceding weekend falls before the holiday, prompting increased transportation capacity and emergency services across Seoul [4].

Feb 17, 2026 – On the fourth day of Seol, nationwide highway traffic peaks as 6.15 million vehicles travel; travel times to Seoul stretch to seven hours from Busan, six hours from Daegu, and four hours from Gangneung, while outbound flow eases around 8‑9 p.m. and inbound traffic is expected to clear between 3‑4 a.m. the next morning [2].

Feb 17, 2026 – Standstill conditions occur on the Gyeongbu Expressway south of Seoul, with outbound travel times of five hours to Busan, four hours to Daegu, and two hours 10 minutes to Daejeon at 8 a.m.; inbound trips take six hours 40 minutes from Busan, five hours 40 minutes from Daegu, and two hours to Seoul, with peak outbound traffic at 1‑2 p.m. and inbound peak at 3‑4 p.m., easing around 8 p.m. and 3 a.m., respectively [3].

Feb 18, 2026 – Expressways nationwide remain congested as travelers return home on the last day of the holiday, with 4.85 million cars on the roads, 350 000 departing Seoul and 490 000 arriving; travel times on the Gyeongbu Expressway reach 5 h 20 min from Busan, 4 h 20 min from Daegu, and 2 h 20 min from Daejeon at 8 a.m. [1].

Feb 18, 2026 – Korea Expressway Corp projects inbound traffic to peak between 3‑4 p.m. and improve after 11 p.m., while outbound volumes ease earlier, reflecting typical holiday travel patterns [1].

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