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Heavy snow causes road congestion, flight cancellations in latest advisory on record

Published: 18 Mar. 2025, 09:07 Updated: 18 Mar. 2025, 20:34

LIM JEONG-WON
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Pedestrians cross a road by Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, central Seoul, as heavy snow advisories were issued across the country on March 18. [YONHAP]

Heavy snow advisories were issued for parts of the country Tuesday, as traffic congestion caused cars to crawl along icy roads in the Seoul metropolitan area, while some flights were disrupted due to the weather.

The heavy snow advisory, issued late Monday for the Seoul area, is believed to be the latest such advisory in the year on record. The heavy snow advisory was lifted at 10 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Between 8 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Tuesday, snowfall reached 8.9 centimeters (3.5 inches) in Seoul, 13.8 centimeters in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, 14.3 centimeters in Hwacheon, Gangwon and 9.0 and 5.2 centimeters in Dangjin, South Chungcheong and Sejong, respectively.

Around 7 a.m. Tuesday, the average vehicle speed in Seoul was 17.9 kilometers per hour (11.1 miles per hour), according to the Seoul Traffic Information Center.

The Gangbyeon Expressway and Cheonggyecheon Road were congested with vehicles moving slowly at an average of 14 kilometers per hour, while the Dongbu Arterial Highway was also congested with cars moving at an average of 26 kilometers per hour.

Multiple accidents were reported across the city as vehicles skidded on snow-covered roads.

On Wednesday night around 1 a.m., a passenger vehicle driven by an Uzbek national collided with the median strip on a road in Ansan, Gyeonggi, resulting in the death of the driver. Police said that the roads were wet at the time of the accident and that "the crash was likely caused by the vehicle skidding."

At 6:18 a.m., a collision occurred at the entrance of Seoul's Jeongneung Tunnel on the inner ring road toward Seongsan. At 6:36 a.m., a passenger car skidded on the snowy road from the southern to the northern end of Seoul's Seongsu Bridge and crashed into the central guardrail. No casualties were reported in either accident.

At around 7:45 a.m., a 5-ton truck traveling near the Seosang IC on the Daejeon-Tongyeong Expressway in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang, skidded on the snow-ridden road and overturned, though no casualties were reported from this accident, according to police.

Pedestrians cross a street near Eulji-ro Station in Jung District, central Seoul, on March 18. [YONHAP]

Commuters faced heavy delays on their way to work, while students rushed to get to school. A total of 21 schools, including preschools in snowy Gangwon, adjusted their class schedules to accommodate students arriving late due to the snow.

Pedestrians also struggled, with snow piling up on sidewalks, forcing many to walk cautiously or slip on icy surfaces.

Flights were also affected, with four cancellations and five delays, according to the Korea Airports Corporation. The corporation cited strong winds and deicing and anti-icing operations as the main reasons for the disruptions.

Maintenace staff shovel snow at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March 18. [YONHAP]

Meanwhile, the Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) announced it would run 14 additional Seoul Metropolitan Subway trains during rush hour on Tuesday.

The additional services included six on Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 1, three on the Suin-Bundang Line and two on the Gyeongui-Jungang Line.

Train service was temporarily suspended on all sections of the Uijeongbu Light Rail line at around 5:15 a.m. Tuesday due to heavy snowfall. Service was suspended for two hours and 10 minutes, causing inconvenience to commuters who could not use the trains.