Hello, this is 속초어때 (Sokcho Eottae). It is 4 a.m. on Saturday, September 26, the third day of the Chuseok holiday. Sokcho (속초) is 19°C and cloudy, with an 88% chance of precipitation. Even at this hour, all three entry roads are showing slow traffic: Misiryeong-ro (미시령로) toward Seoul, Donghae-daero (동해대로) along the coast and downtown, and Seoraksan-ro (설악산로) toward Seorak. Many of you will be leaving Sokcho today, so this post focuses on just one thing: what time to leave to avoid the worst traffic.
Today is the most congested day of this holiday for traffic toward Seoul
According to the Korea Expressway Corporation's forecast, 5.9 million vehicles will use expressways nationwide today. Of these, 520,000 will be heading from the provinces up to the Seoul metropolitan area, 140,000 more than the 380,000 heading down. Most home-bound trips wrapped up yesterday on Chuseok Day itself, and today is when the return trips really begin.
The Gangwon forecast says the same. The corporation's Gangwon headquarters projects today's return travel times from the Gangwon region as follows.
- Yangyang (양양) → Seoul (Namyangju (남양주)): up to 3 hours 50 minutes
- Gangneung (강릉) → Seoul: up to 5 hours
On a normal day, taking the Seoul–Yangyang Expressway (서울양양고속도로) from Sokcho gets you to Seoul in about two and a half hours. If you leave at today's peak time, it could take more than an extra hour. On top of that, this forecast does not include the time it takes to get from downtown Sokcho onto the expressway on the Yangyang side.
When it starts backing up, when it's worst, and when it clears
The corporation's forecast for today's Seoul-bound congestion breaks down into three stages.
- 7–8 a.m.: congestion begins
- 4–5 p.m.: congestion peaks
- 2–3 a.m. the next day (the 27th): congestion clears
In other words, somewhere on the way to Seoul, traffic will be backed up for close to 18 hours, from 8 this morning until 2 a.m. tomorrow. Realistically, the only times you can drive the expressway without delays today are early morning and late at night.
From Sokcho, the afternoon is the time to be especially careful. If you check out, have lunch, and set off around 1–2 p.m., you will reach the metropolitan stretch of the Seoul–Yangyang Expressway right at the 4–5 p.m. peak. The departure time most travelers choose turns out to be the worst one.
Here's how each departure time works out
① Leaving at 6–7 a.m.: the safest bet
Sunrise in Sokcho today is at 06:16. If you leave around sunrise, you can get through the front stretch of the expressway before congestion starts at 7–8 a.m. However, the road surface may still be wet after rain through the early morning, so it is safer to leave after it gets light rather than drive on dark, rainy roads before sunrise.
② Leaving between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.: you join roads that are already jammed
Leave during these hours and you will be driving right through the middle of the congestion. If you have to leave then, allow plenty of time for rest-area and restroom stops, and fill up your tank in Sokcho before you set off.
③ Leaving at 3–6 p.m.: best avoided
This collides head-on with the peak on the metropolitan side. You would do better to have dinner in Sokcho and leave late; you'll arrive around the same time, with far less strain behind the wheel.
④ Leaving after 9 p.m.: a good choice, if you're fine driving at night
Congestion is forecast to clear at 2–3 a.m., so leaving at night doesn't mean completely open roads. Still, the peak will be behind you. But on long late-night drives, drowsiness is the biggest danger. Choose this only if two or more people can take turns driving.
Weather: early-morning rain is forecast to stop, with skies clearing from the morning
Putting together the Korea Meteorological Administration's forecasts, 5–30 mm of rain had been forecast for Gangwon's east coast and mountain areas today, and the central region is expected to gradually clear from the morning after rain continues until early dawn. Today's temperatures in Sokcho range from a low of 18°C to a high of 24°C.
The high 88% chance of precipitation right now is due to the early-morning rain. The rain will most likely stop during the morning, but mountain roads around Misiryeong or Inje (인제) tend to stay wet and foggy for a while even after the rain stops. If you are leaving early in the morning, turn on your headlights and keep more distance than usual from the car ahead.
The sea is fairly calm, with waves of 0.7 m and a water temperature of 23.1°C. Waves off the East Sea (동해) coast are forecast at 0.5–1.5 m today. If you want one last look at the sea before you go, the morning after the rain stops will be the best time.
How to make a jammed road a little less painful
- Check the shoulder lanes. Through the 27th, the Korea Expressway Corporation will flexibly operate shoulder lanes for small vehicles only on the Seoul–Yangyang Expressway between Wolmun 3 Tunnel (월문3터널) and Chuncheon Junction (춘천분기점), in both directions. On the Yeongdong Expressway (영동고속도로), they will operate between Yeoju (여주) and Manjong (만종) in both directions, and from Wonju IC (원주나들목) to Wonju Junction (원주분기점) in the Incheon direction. You may only drive in a shoulder lane when the electronic sign shows it is open, so be sure to check the sign before entering.
- Drowsy-driver rest stops have restrooms too. An extra 33 temporary toilet stalls have been set up at three drowsy-driver rest stops on the Yeongdong Expressway. If the entrance to a rest area is backed up, using a drowsy-driver rest stop is another option.
- Check travel times again right before you leave. Starting this Chuseok, the Korea Expressway Corporation has changed from giving just one maximum-congestion time to letting you compare travel times by date and time slot. You can check this on the '고속도로 교통정보' (Expressway Traffic Info) app or by calling the call center (1588-2504).
- Tolls are still waived today. The Chuseok holiday toll exemption runs through the 27th, so if you're leaving today, you don't need to worry about tolls.
Give yourself extra time even within Sokcho
It's not just the expressway that's jammed. 속초어때's real-time data shows that even now, at 4 a.m., accommodation areas such as 신세계영랑호리조트 (Shinsegae Yeongnangho Resort), 롯데리조트 속초 (Lotte Resort Sokcho), and 베니키아 산과바다 (Benikea San-gwa-Bada) (Daepo Port (대포항)), as well as the areas around Oeongchi Beach (외옹치해변), Dongmyeong Port (동명항), and Cheongchoho Lake (청초호), are all showing as 'very crowded'. That means holiday lodgings are fully booked, and many of these guests will be checking out all at once this morning.
With the coastal and downtown stretch of Donghae-daero and Misiryeong-ro already slow, just getting out of town during morning check-out hours may take longer than usual. If you stayed near Daepo Port or Oeongchi, load your bags into the car a little before check-out time. If you plan to stop by the fish market before leaving, parking around the market is hard to find, so it's better to finish your shopping the day before.
For those staying in Sokcho, this afternoon may actually be quieter
On the other hand, if you're not leaving Sokcho today, the town may start to breathe a little easier from the afternoon, once the return traffic has left. Today, 속초시립박물관 (Sokcho Municipal Museum) is holding a Hangawi folk experience event. It could be a nice stop with your family in the afternoon after the rain stops. Sunset is at 18:17 and moonrise at 17:52, so if the skies clear, you can watch a nearly full moon rise over Cheongchoho Lake or Yeongnangho Lake (영랑호) in the evening.
For residents: if you need to head out toward Yangyang or Seorak this afternoon, we recommend avoiding the morning through early afternoon, when Misiryeong-ro and Donghae-daero will be busy with return traffic.
Today, on the 26th, the peak return-trip day of the Chuseok holiday, we looked at when the road from Sokcho to Seoul gets congested and when it clears. Did you find it helpful? Just avoiding the 4–5 p.m. peak can cut your time on the road quite a bit. Have a safe trip back, and we'll be back next time with even more useful information.
