Heavy Snowfall Continues Amid Severe Cold
Up to 5 cm of Snowfall per Hour Expected Until Seollal
As of 6 a.m., Three Flights Canceled and Roads Closed
Temporary Evacuations in Jincheon, Chungbuk and Imsil, Jeonbuk Due to Heavy Snow
Even on the 28th, a day before Seollal (Lunar New Year), heavy snowfall across the country caused flight cancellations and road closures in many areas. In Jincheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, more than 30 cm of snow accumulated within a day, forcing some households to evacuate. The snow, frozen due to subzero temperatures, has turned many places nationwide into icy roads, requiring caution.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as of 5 a.m. on the 28th, heavy snow warnings were issued for Daejeon, Sejong, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungnam, Chungbuk, Jeonbuk, and Gyeongbuk.
Looking at the snowfall amounts over the past 24 hours, Jincheon in Chungbuk recorded the highest at 32.3 cm. Yeongju in Gyeongbuk (22 cm) and Hoengseong in Gangwon (20.4 cm) also saw over 20 cm of snow accumulation. Other areas with significant snowfall include Sunchang in Jeonbuk (17.8 cm), Anseong in Gyeonggi (16.9 cm), Gyeryong in Chungnam (16.4 cm), and Sejong (15.9 cm).
Due to heavy snow overnight causing traffic restrictions, citizens traveling home for the Lunar New Year holiday are experiencing increased inconvenience. As of 6 a.m. on the day, three flights (Cheongju) were canceled. Passenger ferry operations on 56 routes with 70 vessels, including Yeosu~Geomundo and Incheon~Baengnyeongdo, have also been suspended due to continuous heavy snow since the 27th. Roads including eight locations in Jeju and two in Gyeongbuk, totaling 24 local roads, are closed. With heavy snow accumulating in national parks, access to 19 parks including Bukhansan, Mudeungsan, and Jirisan, covering 466 sections, has been blocked.
There have been no casualties, but temporary evacuations occurred in Jincheon, Chungbuk, and Imsil, Jeonbuk due to the heavy snowfall. Fire authorities conducted a total of 100 operations from 6 a.m. the previous day to 4 a.m. on the 28th, including 2 rescues, 48 emergency medical services, and 50 safety measures.
Due to the sharply dropped temperatures, the snow froze, leading to a series of traffic accidents. Around 11:06 a.m. the previous day, near Hwaseo Interchange 1.5 km on the Cheongju-Yeongdeok Expressway (Cheongju direction), a collision involving five trucks and twelve passenger cars injured 12 people. Another multi-vehicle collision occurred near Hwaseo Interchange 3.0 km, resulting in three minor injuries. Around 7:30 p.m., near Hwansung-ri on National Road No. 29 (Daesan~Seosan), a commuter bus slipped on the snowy road and overturned, causing a chain collision involving eight following commuter buses and injuring 48 people.
The central region, Honam, and inland Gyeongbuk, which suffered the most damage, are still experiencing snowfall of 1 to 3 cm per hour as of 8 a.m. Some areas are seeing heavy snowfall around 5 cm per hour, raising concerns about additional damage. Snow is expected to continue until the afternoon of the 29th, Seollal day, in southwestern Gyeonggi, inland and mountainous Gangwon, Chungcheong, Honam, Gyeongbuk, western inland Gyeongnam, and Jeju.
The CDSCH upgraded its alert level to stage 2 around 10 p.m. the previous day and raised the heavy snow crisis warning from 'caution' to 'alert' level.
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