South Korean government will exempt freeway fees for drivers passing through toll gates adjacent to venues of 2018 PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Games.

According to the event’s organizing committee and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, any car that passes through the eight tollgates of Myeonon, PyeongChang, Soksa, Jinbu, Daegwanryeong, Gangneung, North Gangneung and South Gangneung in Gangwon Province. 

The benefit will be made available to not only the cars that arrive at the aforementioned eight gates, but also to those that departure from those gates.

This measure is effective from Feb.9-25 and March 9-18. Cars that use the freeway when Olympic Games are not being held will have to pay the tolls in full.

All freeways from Feb.15-17 will be toll-free, due to government policy to exempt tolls during Seollal holidays.

Tickets will be issued for the freeway-users as usual, but they will not be charged.

“We wish that the toll exemption policy will allow many people to visit the Olympic Games,” organizing committee Chief Lee Hee-bum said.

The ministry officials estimated that the amount of exempted tolls during the Olympic period will come to about 14.4 billion won ($13.4 million), and about 54.4 billion won during the Seollal holidays.

By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)