SEOUL, January 25 (AJP) - The annual mass migration began on Saturday as South Koreans travel to their hometowns to celebrate Lunar New Year, known as Seollal.
Seollal, a traditional Korean holiday celebrating the first day of the lunisolar calendar, falls on Wednesday this year. With additional public holidays surrounding Seollal, an estimated 35 million people are expected to travel during the six-day holiday from Saturday to Thursday.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Expressway Corporation estimate daily highway traffic during the holiday will average 5.02 million vehicles. The busiest day is expected on Wednesday, with 6.39 million vehicles on highways. The worst congestion is projected for Tuesday morning, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., as families travel to their hometowns.
The ministry has implemented measures to ease traffic, including opening 63 shoulder lanes on key highways and designating 234 sections, totaling 2,100 kilometers, as likely congestion spots with suggested detours.
From Monday to Thursday, highway tolls will be waived nationwide. Discounts of up to 40% will be offered on rail tickets for trains. The number of buses and trains will increase by 12.3%, and seating capacity will rise by 9% compared to regular schedules.
Subway and bus services in Seoul will operate extended hours on Seollal and the following day to accommodate returning travelers.
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