Anchor: The explosion of traffic that heralds the beginning of this year's six-day Chuseok holiday has begun. Major expressways across the nation are crammed with travelers, with traffic authorities estimating that nearly 80 percent of the nation's population will be on the roads during the six-day break.
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: Traffic congestion already began on major highways across South Korea Wednesday afternoon with travelers driving to their hometowns to celebrate the Chuseok thanksgiving holiday with their families.

The Korea Transport Institute and the Korea Expressway Corporation estimated that a total of over 40-point-two million people will travel across the country during the six-day break.

That's nearly 80 percent of the nation's population and among them, nine out of ten will travel by car.

From this Thursday to Tuesday of next week, a total of 31-point-three million cars will be out on the highways, according to the Korea Expressway Corporation.

However, thanks to the longer holiday, extended to National Foundation Day, the daily road traffic during the period is expected to fall by nine-point-four percent on average compared to Chuseok last year.

Traffic authorities are predicting that congestion will peak in the morning on Chuseok day on Friday, when a total of more than six-point-two million cars are estimated to be on major roads across the nation.

With over 40 million people expected to travel, tolls on all expressways in the country will be exempted from Thursday until Sunday. 

Meanwhile, a total of over one-point-two million people are expected to fly to and from the nation's main Incheon International Airport from this Wednesday to Tuesday next week. 

The figure translates to a rise of some 189 percent in average daily air travelers from last year's Chuseok holiday, and is around 97 percent of the pre-pandemic level seen during the same season in 2019.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.