Chuseok Expressway Congestion 'At Its Worst': All Five Worst Sections on Seohaean Expressway, Longest Lasting 67 Hours

[Financial News] All five expressway sections with the worst congestion during last year's Chuseok holiday were located on the Seohaean Expressway, data showed. The most congested section was the stretch from Iljik Junction to Geumcheon Interchange, where cumulative congestion totaled 67 hours over the holiday period.
According to data obtained by the office of Hwang Hee, a member of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee of the National Assembly, from Korea Expressway Corporation on the 19th, the five expressway sections with the longest congestion times during last year's Chuseok holiday were all on the Seohaean Expressway.
The section from Iljik Junction to Geumcheon Interchange had the longest congestion time at 67 hours. It was followed by the section from Seopyeongtaek Interchange to Poseung Junction at 58 hours and the section from Seopyeongtaek Junction to Balan Interchange at 41 hours. The sections from Seopyeongtaek Junction to Seopyeongtaek Interchange and from Dangjin Interchange to Songak Interchange each experienced 35 hours of congestion.
Congestion on the Seohaean Expressway during holiday periods has become a recurring problem. Since Chuseok in 2022, the Seohaean Expressway has consistently been the route with the longest congestion during every major holiday period.
In particular, the section from Iljik Junction to Geumcheon Interchange has repeatedly been cited as the worst congestion hotspot during recent holidays. Congestion on the section lasted 41 hours during the 2024 Lunar New Year holiday, 50 hours during Chuseok that same year, 43 hours during the 2025 Lunar New Year holiday, and 67 hours during last year's Chuseok holiday. It ranked as the most congested holiday-period section four times in a row.
Traffic accidents also occurred during the Chuseok holiday, when vehicles traveling to and returning from their hometowns were concentrated on the roads. Over the past five years, a total of 61 traffic accidents occurred on expressways during the Chuseok holiday period, leaving four people dead and 45 injured.
By cause, inattention accounted for 31 accidents, or nearly half of the total. Speeding followed with eight cases, while failure to maintain a safe following distance and other driver-related causes each accounted for seven cases. Drowsy driving caused four accidents, other causes accounted for two, and other vehicle-related causes and unauthorized pedestrian crossings each accounted for one.
By time of day, the largest number of accidents, 13, occurred between 9 a.m. and noon. This was followed by 11 accidents between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. and 10 between noon and 3 p.m.
By year, the 2024 Chuseok holiday period saw the highest number of accidents and casualties. Seventeen accidents occurred on expressways during that period, leaving one person dead and 32 injured. Inattention was the leading cause, accounting for 11 accidents, followed by speeding, failure to maintain a safe following distance, and other driver-related causes with two cases each.
Hwang said, "Because the periods when traffic builds up and the sections where congestion is concentrated are similar every Chuseok, preparations can be made in advance. The government and Korea Expressway Corporation should provide more information on alternate routes and do more to spread out traffic, focusing on recurring congestion hotspots, to reduce inconvenience for people traveling to and from their hometowns." 

[email protected] Yoon Hong-jip Reporter