Expressways in South Korea, officially called as National expressways, are owned by the government, and operated mostly by the Korea Expressway Corporation, and to a less extent by the private sector. They were originally numbered in order of construction. Since August 24, 2001, they have been numbered in a scheme somewhat similar to that of the Interstate Highway System in the United States; the icons of the South Korean Expressways are notably similar to those in the United States because they are shaped like U.S. Highway shields and colored like Interstate shields with red, white, and blue, the colors of the flag of South Korea.Arterial routes are designated by two-digit numbers, with north–south routes having odd numbers, and east–west routes having even numbers. Primary routes have 5 or 0 as their last digit, while secondary routes end in other digits. Branch routes have three-digit route numbers, where the first two digits match the route number of an arterial route. Belt lines have three-digit route numbers where the first digit matches the respective city's postal code. Route numbers in the range 70–99 are not used in South Korea; they are reserved for designations in the event of Korean reunification. The Gyeongbu Expressway kept its Route 1 designation, as it is South Korea's first and most important expressway.

The Gyeongbu Expressway is the second oldest and most heavily travelled expressway in South Korea, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Gumi, Daegu, Gyeongju, Ulsan and Busan. It has the route number 1, signifying its role as South Korea's most important expressway. The entire length from Seoul to Busan is 416 kilometers (258 mi) and the posted speed limit is 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph), enforced primarily by speed cameras.