"Trapped for 3 Hours": Traffic Gridlock at Asan Medical Center Parking Lot

It has been confirmed that severe traffic congestion around Asan Medical Center in Seoul on Tuesday (July 21) left some citizens unable to exit the underground parking lot for several hours.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Traffic Information Center posted an alert on social media at 12:08 p.m. on Tuesday, stating, "The area around Asan Medical Center is experiencing heavy traffic due to the parking lot being at full capacity."

The congestion was caused by a combination of significant traffic on the nearby Olympic Expressway since the morning, amid heavy monsoon rain, and a surge of visitors arriving at the hospital.

The area is known for frequent traffic jams.

As a result, some citizens attempting to leave the hospital faced difficulties, with some remaining trapped in the underground parking lot for hours.

A 39-year-old surnamed Lee said, "It took me three hours to finally get out of the underground parking lot. It was sweltering in the underground lot because it is summer, and I felt frustrated because there was no internet connection."

It was reported that at the height of the congestion, vehicles inside the underground parking lot were unable to move and had to remain stationary for some time.

The congestion has since eased to some extent, and traffic flow has returned to normal.

(Photo: Provided by reader, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.