Seoul: Major expressways across South Korea remained congested with heavy traffic Monday as drivers hit the road to celebrate the seven-day Chuseok holiday with their families or began their return home. Chuseok, which falls on Monday this year, is the Korean autumn harvest festival marked by family reunions and ancestral rites. This year's extended holiday runs from Friday to Thursday, as it connects with National Foundation Day and Hangeul Day, which commemorates the creation of the Korean alphabet.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC) said traffic remained heavy in both directions due to a mix of homebound travelers and late departures. As of 6 p.m., the estimated travel time to Seoul from the southeastern port city of Busan was 5 hours and 30 minutes, 5 hours and 10 minutes from the southeastern city of Ulsan, and 5 hours and 40 minutes from the southwestern city of Gwangju, according to the KEC.

Travel time from Seoul to Busan was estimated at 5 hours and 30 minutes, 5 hours and 10 minutes to Ulsan, and 4 hours and 30 minutes to Gwangju. Outbound traffic from Seoul was expected to ease around 11 p.m., while inbound congestion was forecast to ease from around 1 a.m. Tuesday, the KEC said. Nearly 6.67 million vehicles were expected to be on the move nationwide Monday, it added.