By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

The yearly exodus of South Koreans began Friday with many traveling to their hometowns around the country for the Sept. 25-29 Chusok holiday.

The Ministry of Construction and Transportation expects that the number of hometown visitors and holidaymakers during the five-day holiday will exceed 35 million.

About 310,000 automobiles left Seoul and the Kyonggi regions on Friday alone, said the ministry.

The Korea Highway Corporation also predicted traffic congestion would peak Monday morning, with travelers bound for their hometowns, and Wednesday afternoon, with travelers returning to Seoul and other regions.

A corporation official said that on the Chusok day of Wednesday, the peak of the holiday, people would be rushing back to Seoul.

According to a survey of 3,091 people bound for their hometowns released by the ministry, 31.2 percent of them will visit their hometown on the eve of the Chusok day, while 45.1 percent will jam roads on the last day of the holidays.

The corporation also estimated that about 3 million automobiles a day would be on the roads until Sept. 30, up 7.8 percent from last year.

Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and other carriers will add more flights from Sept. 25 to 29 to cope with the increased number of travelers.

Korean Air will add 49 more flights during the holiday, while Asiana, the country’s second largest carrier, will operate 22 additional flights with four additional flights on the Inchon-Tokyo route.

The official recommended the use of public transportation, such as buses, as bus-only lanes would save about one hour.

It will take motorists around 11 hours from Seoul to Pusan and some 8 hours and 20 minutes from Seoul to Kwangju on the peak day, the corporation official said.


chungay@koreatimes.co.kr