(2nd LD) Chuseok-traffic

▲ A highway in Seoul is congested on Sept. 25, 2026, the second day of the Chuseok holiday. (Yonhap)

(ATTN: UDPATES with latest traffic details; TRIMS)

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- Traffic eased on major expressways across South Korea on Saturday as the Chuseok holiday entered its final stretch, with millions returning home from their hometowns.

As of 9 p.m., travel times to Seoul from the southeastern city of Busan were estimated at five hours, four hours and 20 minutes from Mokpo and Gwangju in the southwest, four hours from the southeastern city of Daegu, about two hours and 40 minutes from the east coast city of Gangneung, and roughly three hours from the central city of Daejeon, according to the Korea Expressway Corp.

This year's holiday for Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, runs from Thursday to Sunday. The holiday is marked by visits to hometowns, family reunions, ancestral rites and traditional holiday foods.

Trips from Seoul to Busan were estimated to take about 4 1/2 hours, and three hours and 20 minutes to Gwangju.

An estimated 5.9 million vehicles were expected to travel on roads nationwide Saturday, including about 380,000 leaving the greater Seoul area and 520,000 heading toward the capital area from other regions.

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