Millions of S. Koreans begin exodus for Chuseok holiday

SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- As millions of South Koreans began to head for their hometowns on Saturday to spend the "Chuseok" fall harvest holiday with their families, heavy traffic clogged major roads across the country, highway officials said.

Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of America's Thanksgiving Day, is one of the largest holidays in South Korea, and runs Saturday through Monday this year.

One study shows that about a third of the nation's 49 million people visit their hometowns for the holiday.

Despite gridlock on some highways, traffic was smooth across the country earlier
in the day, according to highway officials. But autos on major highways began to
stack up bumper-to-bumper in the afternoon, they added.

"About 315,000 vehicles are expected to leave Seoul on Saturday alone,"
said an official at the Korea Highway Corp. "The traffic congestion is
likely to continue until midnight."

As of 2 p.m., an estimated 177,000 cars had departed from Seoul, officials said.
More and more people flocked to major bus and train stations and Incheon
International Airport in the afternoon to head for their hometowns or visit
family in foreign countries for the holiday, according to related agencies.

As the weekend makes this year's Chuseok celebration a short three-day holiday,
many South Koreans began to hit the road as early as Friday to beat the usual
traffic jam, they said.

Highway congestion will likely reach its peak later Saturday and Sunday when
people start to return home, officials said.

Over 12 million people, or about a quarter of South Korea's population, reside in
Seoul, the nation's capital.

sam@yna.co.kr

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