Severe traffic congestion occurred around Asan Medical Center today (July 21), leaving some citizens unable to exit the underground parking lot for several hours.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Traffic Information Center posted an update on social media at 12:08 p.m. today, stating, "The area around Asan Medical Center is experiencing heavy traffic due to the parking lot reaching full capacity."
The congestion was caused by a combination of heavy monsoon rain, high traffic volume on the nearby Olympic Expressway since this morning, 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 significant inconvenience, with some 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 inside because it is summer, and the lack of internet connection made it even more frustrating."
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 a period of time.
The traffic has since eased to some extent, and vehicle flow has returned to normal.
(Photo: Provided by reader, Yonhap News)