A woman takes a walk at the snow-covered Deoksugung Palace after a heavy snowfall in Seoul, South Korea, November 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

South Korea grappled with heavy snowfall for a second day on Thursday (November 28, 2024), with dozens of flights cancelled, ferry operations suspended and at least four people reported dead in a bitter winter, though conditions showed signs of easing.

The winter snowfall was the third-heaviest in Seoul, the capital, since records began in 1907, the Yonhap news agency said, citing data from the city.

More than 40 cm (16 inches) of snow piled up in parts of Seoul by 8 a.m., forcing the cancellation of more than 140 flights, although weather officials lifted heavy snow warnings in the capital’s metropolitan area by 10 a.m. on Thursday.

One person died and two were injured at a golf range after a net overladen with snow collapsed late on Wednesday, while another was killed in the similar collapse of a protective tent at a car park, media said.

Traffic accidents on highways east of the capital killed at least two more, reports showed. Police said 11 people were injured on Wednesday evening in a 53-vehicle pile-up on a highway in the central city of Wonju in Gangwon province.

Seoul’s main airport, Incheon, was the worst affected, with passengers facing delays of two hours on average, while 14% of flights were delayed and 15% cancelled on Thursday, plane tracking website Flightradar24 showed.

Authorities said about 142 flights were cancelled, and operations of 99 ferries suspended on 76 routes by Thursday, authorities said, while media reported trains were also delayed.

Schools in the province of Gyeonggi adjoining Seoul received permission to close on Thursday if needed, provincial authorities said.

The unusually heavy November snow has been attributed to the warmer-than-usual temperatures of seawaters west of the Korean peninsula encountering currents of cold air.

Neighbouring North Korea has also received more than 10 cm (4 inches) of snow in some areas between Tuesday and Wednesday, state broadcaster Korean Central Television said.

A woman takes a photographs of her friend during heavy snow fall in central Seoul, South Korea, on November 27, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The most severe November snowstorm to hit South Korea’s capital in more than a half century blanketed the capital on Wednesday, grounding hundreds of airplane flights and disrupting commuter traffic.

South Korea’s weather agency said 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) of snow fell in northern areas of Seoul and nearby areas. The agency said it was the heaviest snowstorm Seoul has experienced in 52 years. A storm on Nov. 28, 1972 dumped 12 centimeters (4.7) inches of snow on the capital.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said one person died and four others were injured in a five-vehicle accident in the eastern town of Hongcheon.

The storm blanketed much of the country, with the country’s central, eastern and southwestern regions seeing about 10 to 23 centimeters (3.9 to 9 inches) of snow.

At least 220 flights were canceled or delayed at airports nationwide, while authorities ordered around 90 ferries to remain at port. They also shut down hundreds of hiking trails .

Icy road conditions slowed down the morning commute in Seoul, while emergency workers across the country responded to fallen trees, signs, and other safety risks.

The weather agency said snow will continue in most parts of the country until noon Thursday.

President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the safety and transport ministries to mobilize all available relevant personnel and equipment to prevent traffic accidents and other snow-related incidents. Yoon also asked officials to convey weather and traffic information to the public swiftly to help ensure they avoid snow-related damages and inconveniences, according to the presidential office.