'Cold Wave's Counterattack' Roads Turned into Skating Rinks, Blocked Sky Routes

Jeonju under heavy snow warning, delayed snow removal causes icy roads and sidewalks
Jeju flights canceled and delayed, causing widespread inconvenience to citizens

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Last weekend, a 'strongest cold wave' with temperatures around minus 10 degrees Celsius swept across the Korean Peninsula, causing a series of incidents and accidents. Roads froze to the extent that they resembled ice skating rinks, and domestic flights were delayed or canceled, causing inconvenience to citizens.

On Saturday the 17th, when a heavy snow warning was issued in Jeonju, Jeonbuk Province, road clearing operations were delayed, turning the roads into ice sheets. Videos of downtown Jeonju uploaded on YouTube and other platforms show cars cautiously moving at slow speeds on the frozen roads. A city bus climbing an uphill road slipped on the icy road, crossed the center line, blocked the roadway, and stopped precariously.

Kim (25), a resident of Jeonju, said, "The roads were completely frozen that day, so I drove at 10 km/h. The sidewalks were also frozen." He added, "It started snowing around 5 a.m., but snow removal work was only done around evening." On the Jeonju City Hall free bulletin board, many citizens posted comments criticizing the local government's inadequate response, such as "I've never seen snow removal this poorly done in my life" and "I hated snow for the first time."

A road in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, which became icy due to heavy snowfall on the 17th./Provided by Jeonju citizens

On the 19th, Jeonju Mayor Woo Beom-gi apologized at an executive meeting, saying, "We should have responded excessively when it came to safety issues, but we were too passive." He added, "We will review the disaster and safety management system to prevent such incidents from recurring."

On the 18th, as of 6 p.m., 109 domestic flights to and from airports including Jeju, Gimpo, Gwangju, Gimhae, and Daegu were canceled. Especially, at Jeju Airport, where sudden wind and strong wind warnings were issued, 100 departing and arriving flights were canceled en masse, and 141 flights were delayed, causing great inconvenience to citizens.

A missing person incident also occurred. In Gwangju Metropolitan City, where a heavy snow warning had been in effect for three days, a teenage student went missing, prompting police to launch a search. According to the police, middle school student A, who went missing, was last seen leaving an apartment in Ilgok-dong on the morning of the 16th. On the 18th, the police issued a missing person alert and are conducting search operations centered around the area where A was last seen.

On the 16th, as a severe cold wave continued, citizens hurried on their way to work on the streets of Gwanghwamun, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

With the sudden arrival of the severe cold wave and heavy snow, traffic accidents and falls have been occurring repeatedly throughout urban areas. Until the end of November this year, the weather was warm enough to feel hot during the day, but as temperatures dropped sharply recently, damages have been increasing. The rapid temperature drop is due to the weakening of the 'jet stream,' which blocks cold air from the Arctic region, allowing cold air to descend over the Korean Peninsula and the Northern Hemisphere.

The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast that dry weather and severe cold will continue for the time being and urged special caution regarding health management and fire safety. The KMA stated, "Elderly people and children, who are vulnerable to cold, should avoid outdoor activities as much as possible and take care of their health. Also, due to the severe cold, cold wave damage is expected in various industries. We ask that thorough preparations be made against freezing of water pipes, meters, boilers, and cold damage to agricultural and livestock products and aquaculture farms."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.