Jeju Hit by Cold Wave and Heavy Snow, Numerous Flight Cancellations... Frequent Accidents

Strong winds and severe cold swept through Jeju, bringing heavy snowfall that cut off air and sea routes and caused a series of accidents.

According to the Jeju Regional Meteorological Administration on the 23rd, a heavy snow warning is currently in effect for the mountainous and mid-mountain areas of Jeju Island, while a heavy snow advisory is issued for other regions. A strong wind advisory is in place across all land areas of Jeju, and marine areas are under storm warnings or advisories.

As of 4 p.m. on the 23rd, the accumulated snowfall (new snow depth) since the 21st was 34.4 cm at Sajaebi on Hallasan Mountain, 33 cm at Eorimok, and 23.2 cm at Samgakbong. Other areas recorded 16.4 cm at Hallasan Ecological Forest, 9.3 cm at Sancheondan, 8.9 cm at Gasiri, 6.5 cm at Hannam, 5.9 cm at Yusuam, 5.3 cm at Pyoseon, 4.6 cm at Songdang, 3.8 cm at Jungmun, 3.2 cm at Seongsan, 3.1 cm at Andeok Hwasun, 1.4 cm at Hallim, and 1.7 cm in Jeju City.

The winds also blew strongly, with the maximum instantaneous wind speeds recorded at 4 p.m. reaching 29.8 m/s at Gosan, 23.8 m/s at Udo, 22.8 m/s at Gapado, 22.7 m/s at Gimnyeong, 21.9 m/s at Gujwa, 20.7 m/s in Jeju City, and 20.4 m/s at Jeju Airport.

On the morning of the 23rd, when heavy snow fell across Jeju, snow removal work was underway on the runway of Jeju International Airport.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

At Jeju International Airport, strong wind, sudden wind, and heavy snow warnings were in effect, leading to numerous flight cancellations. According to Korea Airports Corporation Jeju Airport, as of 4 p.m., a total of 423 flights were canceled or preemptively suspended, including 405 domestic flights (202 departures, 203 arrivals) and 18 international flights (9 departures, 9 arrivals).

Due to the ongoing bad weather, airlines successively decided to cancel flights, resulting in all domestic flights after 3 p.m. being canceled. Initially, a total of 453 flights (419 domestic, 34 international) were scheduled to operate at Jeju Airport that day, but only 26 flights (14 domestic, 12 international) actually operated so far.

The aviation industry estimated that approximately 20,000 passengers departing from Jeju were stranded.

Strong winds and high waves at sea also disrupted ferry operations. According to the Jeju Navigation Management Center of the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority, 4 out of 10 passenger ferries on 8 routes connecting Jeju with other regions were canceled.

Road conditions are also poor. As of 4 p.m., both large and small vehicles were prohibited from traveling on Route 1100, Route 516, and Bijarim-ro. On the First Sanrok Road and Myeongnim-ro, small vehicles are banned, and large vehicles must be equipped with winter tires to pass.

On Cheondan-ro, both large and small vehicles are restricted, and on Namjo-ro and the Second Sanrok Road, small vehicles must have winter tires. Other major city roads also require small vehicles to be equipped with winter tires.

On the morning of the 23rd, when a fierce snowstorm hit Jeju, the airline waiting counters on the domestic departure floor of Jeju International Airport were crowded with people trying to get airline tickets. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Several accidents, large and small, occurred consecutively. According to the Jeju Fire and Safety Headquarters, at around 5:33 a.m., a pedestrian walking on a street in Nohyeong-dong, Jeju City, slipped, and over two days starting from the previous day, seven people suffered fall injuries and were transported to hospitals by 119 emergency medical services.

At around 8:52 a.m., a driver trapped in a snow-covered alley near Iljudong-ro in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City, was rescued. Around the same time, a car-to-car traffic accident on a snowy road in Yongdam-dong, Jeju City, resulted in one occupant in their 80s sustaining minor injuries and being taken to a hospital.

On the previous afternoon, a pedestrian crossing signal in Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City, was shaking, and the outer wall of a building in Hwabuk 1-dong fell, prompting safety measures. From the previous day until 3 p.m. on the 23rd, 20 emergency and safety actions were taken.

The Meteorological Administration forecasted that due to the influence of snow cloud bands developing over the West Sea, heavy and intense snowfall would continue in Jeju until the morning of the 24th. From daytime on the 24th to the morning of the 25th, rain or snow (snow above mid-mountain areas) is expected. The anticipated snowfall amounts are 10 to 30 cm (with some areas exceeding 40 cm) in mountainous regions, 5 to 15 cm (with some areas exceeding 20 cm) in mid-mountain and eastern regions, and 3 to 8 cm along the coast until the 24th.

The Meteorological Administration especially urged caution as very heavy snowfall is expected from the afternoon of the 23rd through the early morning of the 24th, on top of already accumulated snow in Jeju. They warned to be vigilant against damage such as the collapse of facilities like vinyl greenhouses and vehicle entrapment. Roads will be very slippery due to accumulated and frozen snow, and visibility may sharply decrease in areas with heavy snowfall, emphasizing the need for extra caution regarding traffic safety and pedestrian safety.