Traffic congestion on the Gyeongbu Expressway near Shingal Interchange in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Jan. 24, ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, as seen from a police SWAT helicopter. Yonhap

Traffic on major highways across South Korea showed some signs of congestion Sunday on the second day of this year's Lunar New Year holiday period as people headed for their hometowns.

This year's Lunar New Year holiday, known as Seollal, has been extended to six days, lasting until Thursday, after the government designated Monday as a temporary national holiday.

As of 9 a.m., the 320 kilometer-drive from Seoul to the southeastern port city of Busan was expected to take five hours and 10 minutes, and to Gangneung, some 160 km from the capital, approximately three hours, according to the state-run Korea Expressway Corp.

Traffic congestion on outbound routes from Seoul is expected to peak between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., with conditions easing between 10 and 11 p.m.

Travel times toward Seoul were relatively shorter, with the drive from Busan expected taking four hours and 50 minutes, and the trip from Gangneung estimated at two hours and 40 minutes.

The state-run company said that traffic is set to be heavier compared to usual Sundays, but noted that it is expected to be relatively smooth, excluding major routes.

The Korea Expressway estimated that 4.25 million vehicles would travel nationwide on Sunday, including 410,000 cars leaving the greater Seoul area and 300,000 cars heading toward it. (Yonhap)