2026 Labor Day Travel: Expect Heavy Traffic on Highways Returning to Seoul

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Traffic returning to the Seoul metropolitan area is expected to keep congestion focused on routes into the capital on Monday, May 4, and Tuesday, May 5, as drivers who used the short break between Labor Day (May 1) and Children’s Day (May 5) head home.

Congestion is likely to worsen on major expressways into Seoul as Monday evening commuter traffic overlaps with returning holiday drivers.

On May 4, the Korea Expressway Corporation estimated travel times to Seoul at about 2 hours 20 minutes from Daejeon; 6 hours 40 minutes from Busan; 5 hours from Gwangju; 5 hours 40 minutes from Mokpo; and 4 hours 10 minutes from Gangneung. On the holiday’s final day, May 5, it projected roughly 2 hours 20 minutes from Daejeon; 6 hours 30 minutes from Busan; 4 hours 30 minutes from Gwangju; 5 hours 20 minutes from Mokpo; and 3 hours 50 minutes from Gangneung.

The expressway operator has put a special traffic plan in place to keep highways moving during the holiday. Officials will step up monitoring at busy rest areas, manage parking more strictly and expand electronic-sign guidance about bus-only lanes, including operating hours and covered sections, to improve compliance.

A Korea Expressway Corporation official urged drivers to exercise caution, saying the higher traffic volumes and longer congestion expected during Family Month raise the risk of accidents.

Travelers who went abroad during the short holiday will also be returning during the same period.

Incheon Airport Corporation expects 227,439 passengers to use the airport on May 4 and 211,738 on May 5. Arrivals are forecast at about 116,469 on May 4 and 115,485 on May 5.

More than 1.3 million passengers are expected to pass through Incheon over the holiday, averaging roughly 216,699 per day. Accordingly, May 4 is likely to be the airport’s busiest day during the short break.