A snow layer thicker than 20 cm blanketed many areas in Seoul, South Korea, on November 27, causing significant traffic disruptions.
The country’s meteorological agency issued a heavy snow warning for the capital city of Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and several other regions across the nation. This situation is expected to persist until November 28.
The Korea Disaster and Safety Agency issued a Level 1 heavy snow warning in its three-tier alert system, which is predicted to be raised to Level 2 by the end of the day due to the possibility of increased snowfall.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the districts of Seongbuk and Gangbuk in northern Seoul experienced over 20 cm of snowfall on the morning of November 27. Many other districts in the capital also recorded more than 10 cm of snow.
This is the largest November snowfall in Seoul in 117 years. (Photo: Yonhap).
This is the largest November snowfall in Seoul recorded by modern weather observation systems since October 1907. The previous record was only 12.4 cm, noted on November 28, 1972.
The heavy snowfall has caused numerous accidents, leading to traffic congestion and disruptions nationwide. Rescue agencies have received over 150 reports of traffic accidents and injuries due to slippery conditions. In Seongbuk District, a fallen tree hit power lines, causing outages that affected nearly 200 households.
According to the Korea Airports Corporation and Incheon International Airport Corporation, over 40 domestic and international flights were canceled, and nearly 200 flights were delayed.
Traffic stalled due to heavy snow (Photo: Yonhap).
The Seoul Subway Line 9 also experienced delays of up to nine minutes during the morning peak hours, causing overcrowding at the stations.
In response, the Seoul city government has decided to increase the frequency of subway and bus services during peak hours until the morning of November 28 to alleviate traffic congestion.
According to the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, major Joseon Dynasty palaces in central Seoul and royal tombs closed at the end of November 27 to ensure the safety of visitors, along with the suspension of night tours.
Forecasts indicate that morning temperatures are expected to drop below freezing across central regions of the country until the end of November 30.
