South Korea will run a five-day Chuseok transport operation from September 23 through 27 as a shorter holiday concentrates travel into a much tighter window. The government expects 30.93 million trips during the period, with 12.99 million people moving on Chuseok itself, September 25. Average daily highway traffic is projected at 6.05 million vehicles, about 11.8 percent higher than last year.
For drivers, the most immediate measure is a four-day toll exemption on national expressways from September 24 through 27. Authorities will also open additional shoulder lanes and newly completed sections of national roads, while extending the operating hours of the bus-only lane on the Gyeongbu Expressway. Korea Expressway Corporation service-station fuel prices are also due to be cut by 100 won per liter during the holiday operation.
A shorter break concentrates the road surge
The compressed calendar changes when congestion is expected to peak. Officials forecast the heaviest outbound traffic on September 24 and the busiest return traffic on Chuseok day, September 25. At the worst point, a Seoul-to-Busan drive could take about ten and a half hours, while the reverse trip could take around nine hours. Those estimates make departure timing unusually important for a holiday that has fewer days to spread demand.
The government is operating a joint response center with transport agencies and says the plan is designed to reduce both congestion and accident risk. The shorter period means total movement may be somewhat lower than during last year's longer break even as daily road volumes increase. Rail, bus and highway systems therefore face more concentrated pressure rather than a simple rise in total travel.
Travelers can use the plan as a timetable rather than just a traffic warning. Toll-free driving begins a day after the special operation starts, the largest outbound wave is expected on the first holiday day, and the return peak follows immediately on Chuseok. The combination of free tolls, cheaper service-station fuel and higher traffic volumes is likely to make the exact hour of departure more consequential than usual.