Heavy snow in March brings multiple ferries and flights to a halt

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Heavy snow in March brings multiple ferries and flights to a halt

Published: 03 Mar. 2025, 18:59 Updated: 03 Mar. 2025, 19:11

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Pedestrians walk underneath trees blanketed by snow in Gangneung, Gangwon on March 3. [YONHAP]

Three flights and dozens of ferries services were canceled and cars collided on icy roads as heavy snow battered the country between Sunday and Monday.

According to the state-run Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on Monday, two flights scheduled to depart from Gimpo International Airport in Seoul were canceled on Monday. Also, one Jeju-bound flight from Wonju Airport in Gangwon was canceled. Some 77 ferries traveling through 58 maritime routes were canceled.

While the snow accumulation in the greater Seoul area recorded some 10 centimeters (3.93 inches) or below, Gangwon saw the greatest snowfall with an accumulation exceeding 50 centimeters, according to the state-run weather agency.

The Gangwon State Fire Headquarters said it had transported 18 patients to hospitals who were injured in car crashes or who had falls due to slippery conditions as of 10 a.m. Monday.

A 44-year-old driver and a 46-year-old passenger in a Kia K7 sustained light injuries after colliding with a 17-ton snowplow vehicle in Taebaek, Gangwon — where 48.7 centimeters of snow had fallen — at around 11:16 p.m. on Sunday.

On the same day, another two passengers traveling in a Hyundai Starex van were injured in a collision with a truck on an expressway heading toward Gangneung, Gangwon, at 5:55 p.m.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration's (KMA) Gangwon branch, Hyangno Peak, located between Goseong and Inje counties, recorded 50 centimeters of snow as of 10 a.m. Monday.

Seorak-dong in the city of Sokcho saw 30.1 centimeters of snowfall, and Daegwallyeong in Pyeongchang County was blanketed by 25 centimeters of snow. North Gangneung in the coastal area had 18.3 centimeters of snow. Yanggu County, an inland area of Gangwon, received 15.4 centimeters of snow.

City government officials remove snow on roads using shovels in Sokcho, Gangwon on March 3. [SOKCHO CITY]

The fire authority also rescued eight people who were stranded due to the heavy snowfall. Also, it implemented safety measures in nine areas where trees fell in the close vicinity of residential buildings or roads.

The Korea National Park Service closed off trails on three mountains – Mounts Seorak, Chiak and Taebaek – in Gangwon, citing heavy snow as the reason. In the province, the park service opened several routes on Mount Odae while some remained closed.

Also, roads in coastal regions in the cities of Gangneung and Sokcho and Goseong County were closed due to unsafe conditions, according to Yonhap News Agency. Operations of intracity buses in Jeongseon County were suspended.

The Gangwon provincial government asked its cities and counties to remove snow thoroughly to prevent accidents ahead of the spring school semester, which will begin on Tuesday.

Children and adults build a snowman in a residential area of Gangneung, Gangwon on March 3. [YONHAP]

A heavy snow advisory and warning – which can be issued when accumulation is expected to exceed 5 or 20 centimeters respectively in the upcoming 24 hours – were lifted at 10:30 a.m. across the province.

But more snow is likely to blanket the province between Tuesday and Wednesday. The KMA forecast that Gangwon's mountainous region would receive more than 40 centimeters of snow while the other regions would see around 10 to 30 centimeters of snow.

The Gyeongsang region is also expected to see between 10 and 20 centimeters of snow, while other parts of the country – Gyeonggi, Chuncheong and Jeolla – are likely to see a maximum of 10 centimeters of snow.

A fallen streetlamp is seen on a road in Jeju Island on March 3. [NEWS1]

Jeju Island, located southwest of the Korean Peninsula, is reportedly experiencing strong winds with a speed between 54 to 90 kph (33.55 to 55.92 mph), according to Yonhap News Agency.

The KMA’s Jeju branch issued a strong wind warning on most of Jeju Island and Chuja Island, located between South Jeolla and Jeju Island. The warning is issued when wind speed is predicted to exceed 93.6 kph on land.

Also, a strong wind advisory is issued on Jeju Island’s highland areas. The advisory becomes effective when wind speed is expected to surpass 72 kph on land.

Strong gusts resulted in three damage reports as of 11 a.m. on Monday, said fire services headquarters on Jeju Island.

A streetlight collapsed in Seogwipo on the island. Two trees also fell on roadways due to strong winds – one in Jeju city and the other in Seogwipo.

The state weather agency asked Jeju residents and pedestrians to be cautious as wind speed is expected to exceed 72 kph on the island until the late afternoon on Tuesday.

Update, March 3: Changed headline

BY LEE SOO-JUNG, JEONG EUN-HYE [[email protected]]