Heavy snow blankets S. Korea’s wider Seoul, eastern region; alert issued

This undated file photo shows heavy snow in Gangwon, South Korea. (Yonhap via The Korea Herald/Asia News Network)

Thick snow hit South Korea’s wider Seoul area and the eastern region of Gangwon on Sunday, prompting authorities to raise the weather alert and brace for possible disruptions, officials said.

Seoul was expected to receive up to 8 centimeters of snow through Monday, with its surrounding Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon in the country’s northeast to see as much as 10 cm in the same period, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety said it had activated the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters at Level 1 and raised the crisis alert to “caution” from “attention” as of 8 a.m.

READ: Seoul, South Korea hit by record snowfall

Acting Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong instructed relevant agencies to mobilize all personnel and equipment to minimize damage from heavy snowfall and implement measures to reduce public inconvenience, such as traffic congestion. (Yonhap)