"I had to return my train ticket twice because I couldn’t get a taxi, probably because of the snow."

At around 8 a.m. on the 18th, Ms. Cho (39), whom I met near Solsaem Station in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, was anxiously pacing. The snow that fell overnight had frozen, icing over the roads, and with more snow starting to fall again during the morning rush hour, she was unable to hail a taxi. Ms. Cho, who had to go to Seoul Station for a business trip out of town, finally managed to catch a taxi after returning her reserved train ticket twice, taking a total of 40 minutes.

The unexpected heavy snowfall in mid-March caused inconvenience for citizens throughout the city. The snow even caused a temporary suspension of the Uijeongbu Light Rail, with residents in northern Seoul particularly struggling on their way to work.

원본보기 아이콘

원본보기 아이콘

Around 7:45 a.m. in front of Exit 5 at Gangnam Station, nine to ten people were seen lingering, unable to step out onto the sidewalk. Although a lot of snow had fallen overnight, it had stopped briefly, so those who left home without umbrellas found themselves caught in the snow. Kim Sangheon (29), an office worker commuting from Dobong to Gangnam, said, "When I left home at 6 a.m., it wasn’t snowing, so I didn’t bring an umbrella, but by the time I arrived at Gangnam Station, it was snowing heavily and my clothes were soaked."

Most people were bundled up in winter coats, wearing masks, or wrapping scarves tightly around their necks. Some walked cautiously on the slippery sidewalks or avoided puddles. Jang (29), who commutes from Suwon in Gyeonggi-do to Gangnam, said, "My socks got completely soaked on the way here," and added, "I think I’ll have to stop by a convenience store to buy a new pair."

Public transportation was more crowded than usual. Kang Sohyun (37), who commutes by bus from Seongnam in Gyeonggi-do, said, "Just last week I could get a seat all the way to Gangnam, but today, probably because of the snow, public transportation was so crowded that I had to stand in a cramped space." At a parking lot near Gangnam Station, Mr. Sung, in his 30s, said, "I commute from the north side of the river, and all the cars were driving slowly for fear of accidents on the snowy roads. I almost arrived 20 minutes late."

At the Sejong-daero intersection near Gwanghwamun Station, some office workers slipped and fell on the snow piled up on the sidewalk. Dirty, slushy snow from the road splashed onto the sidewalks, so some people ended up soiling their clothes. Ms. Lee, in her 60s, said, "The roads are so slippery, I’m afraid I’ll get hurt." Mr. Yoon, in his 50s, said, "I usually drive to work, but today I took the subway because I was afraid of black ice." Kim Sohyun (35), who commutes from Suyu-dong to Samseong Station, said, "There were so many people that I had to let two trains go by at Suyu Station before I could get on."

The 'heavy snow warning in mid to late March' is the first in 7 years since 2018.

The latest heavy snow warning since the first observation in 1999.

The cause is the Arctic cold air reaching minus 40 degrees rapidly pushing inland.

The heavy snow caused a series of traffic accidents and some road closures. At around 5:15 a.m., all Uijeongbu Light Rail trains were suspended, inconveniencing commuters for about two hours. According to the Seoul Traffic Information Center, as of 9 a.m., the average traffic speed across Seoul was 17.7 km/h. Two flights were canceled in Gimpo and Jeju, and 66 passenger ships on 53 routes, including Mokpo-Hongdo and Baengnyeong-Incheon, were halted. In Jeonbuk, Gangwon, and Jeonnam, seven roads were closed, and 369 sections in 15 national parks were restricted.

This is the first 'heavy snow advisory in late March' in seven years since 2018. In particular, for Seoul, it was the latest heavy snow advisory ever recorded since observations began in 1999. The cause of this unusual spring snowstorm was a sudden influx of Arctic cold air, with temperatures dropping to minus 40 degrees Celsius, making the atmosphere extremely unstable.