Witnesses posted pictures and video of the male ostrich named Tadori on social media, after he broke free from a zoo named Bug City and found himself trotting speedily past and across traffic, a local policeman said.
Police and a local fire department captured the bird using a net at a car park about 2.6 kilometers (1.62 miles) from the zoo, located about half an hour south of Seoul.
The four-year-old ostrich was safe and returned to the zoo in stable condition, zoo owner Choi Yun-joo told Reuters.
"His only friend, a female ostrich Tasooni, passed away about a month ago. Guess that has been tough on Tadori," Choi said.
(Writing by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
By Sebin Choi and Minwoo Park
