
Chuseok is Korea's biggest travel holiday — bigger than Seollal, bigger than summer vacation. Tens of millions of people leave the cities to visit hometowns, and the expressway network that normally handles rush hour without much drama grinds to a near-standstill for a few specific windows.
If you're renting a car around September 25, 2026, this guide tells you exactly which hours to avoid, when tolls are waived, and how to actually get where you're going without losing half a day on the Gyeongbu Expressway.

At a Glance
Chuseok Day
Fri, Sep 25, 2026
Official Holiday
Sep 24-26 (Thu-Sat)
Substitute Holiday
Mon, Sep 28, 2026
Worst Outbound
Sep 24, morning + afternoon
Worst Return
Sep 28, afternoon-evening
Expressway Help
1588-2504
Chuseok falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which places Chuseok Day on Friday, September 25, 2026. The official holiday runs three days — the day before, the day itself, and the day after — so the base holiday is Thursday, September 24 through Saturday, September 26.
Because the third day (Sep 26) lands on a Saturday, Korea's substitute holiday rule (대체공휴일) kicks in and adds Monday, September 28 as a paid day off. Combined with the regular weekend, that stretches the real holiday window to five straight days: Thursday through Monday.
| Date | Day | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 24 | Thursday | Chuseok Eve — holiday begins |
| Sep 25 | Friday | Chuseok Day (추석 당일) |
| Sep 26 | Saturday | Day after Chuseok |
| Sep 27 | Sunday | Regular weekend |
| Sep 28 | Monday | Substitute holiday (대체공휴일) |
Chuseok 2026 Holiday Calendar
That five-day span is exactly why traffic gets so bad — instead of a short weekend trip, most of the country is trying to travel on the same two or three days. Korea's official public holiday schedule is confirmed by government gazette closer to the date, so double-check on the Korea Expressway Corporation site (ex.co.kr) if you're planning months ahead.
Korean holiday traffic follows a predictable rhythm every single year, split into 귀성길 (going to the hometown) and 귀경길 (coming back). The worst congestion isn't spread evenly across the holiday — it clusters into a handful of windows.

| Route | Normal Time | Chuseok Peak |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul → Busan | ~4h 15m | 8-11 hours |
| Seoul → Gwangju | ~3h | 6-8 hours |
| Seoul → Daejeon | ~2h | 4-6 hours |
| Seoul → Gangneung/Sokcho | ~2h 30m | 5-7 hours |
Typical Drive Times: Normal Day vs. Chuseok Peak
These are averages from past Chuseok and Seollal holidays — the exact numbers shift year to year based on weather and construction, but the pattern holds. A trip that normally takes 4 hours can easily take 10 if you leave at the wrong time.
Every year, Korea Expressway Corporation (한국도로공사) waives tolls on all expressways for the official Chuseok holiday days — this has been standard policy since 2017 and typically covers the three core holiday days. Both Hi-Pass electronic lanes and manual toll booths apply the waiver automatically; you don't need to do anything special.

The single best strategy is to drive outside the peak windows rather than avoid the holiday entirely. Leaving Seoul at 5 a.m. on Thursday, before the rush builds, can cut a normally 10-hour Busan trip down to 6 hours or less.

Google Maps is not reliable for Korean traffic — use local apps instead. Naver Map and Kakao Map both pull live data from Korea's national traffic system and will reroute you around jams automatically.

Chuseok traffic is predictable if you plan around it. Leave early, check Naver or Kakao Map before you go, and treat the Thursday morning and Monday evening windows as no-go zones. Do that, and you'll spend your Chuseok with family instead of stuck on the Gyeongbu Expressway.
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