Agencies
Seoul
Seoul has recorded the heaviest snowfall in more than 100 years, with the South Korean capital blanketed under 16 centimetres on Wednesday afternoon, the weather service reported.
The fall, which was the heaviest since records began more than a century ago, paralysed air traffic. The Yonhap news agency reported that at least 150 flights across the country had been cancelled.
More than 200 households in Seoul were without electrical power for a time.
Local media reported that at least two people had died in traffic accidents attributed to the weather conditions. And a man died in the northern province of Gyeonggi when his garage collapsed under the weight of the snow.
President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the Safety and Transport Ministry to mobilize all available staff to clear the snow with the aim of reducing risk and tailbacks.
Youn Ki-han, the head of Seoul’s Meteorology Forecast Division, told the AFP news agency that the heavy snowfall was due to strong westerly winds and a "significant temperature difference between the sea surface and the cold air”.
The cold weather comes after the region experienced a period of mild autumn temperatures.
"Just last week, I felt that the November autumn was a bit warm, but in just one week it feels like it’s turned into a winter wonderland, which was quite a contrast,” said businessman Bae Joo-han.
"So I came out onto the streets today to enjoy the first snowfall of this winter.”
In the town of Yangju, a tent-type garage collapsed and killed a person who was removing snow, according to South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The snow caused temporary power outages at about 230 homes in the city of Gwangju, near Seoul, according to the Gyeonggi provincial government.
The storm blanketed much of the country, with the central, eastern and southwestern regions recording about 10 to 28 centimeters (3.9 to 11 inches) of cover.
Icy road conditions slowed down the morning commute in Seoul and led to massive crowds at subways, causing delays. Emergency workers across the country responded to fallen trees, road signs and other safety risks.
Officials at the Safety Ministry said they couldn’t confirm any school closures as of Wednesday afternoon.
Visitors dressed in traditional hanbok garb were busy taking photographs at Seoul’s snow-covered medieval palaces while snowmen popped up in playgrounds and schoolyards across the country.
The weather service predicted that snow and rainfall would continue up to Thursday afternoon.