Yonhap News Agency

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Yonhap News Agency

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"It felt like the entire city of Seoul was paralyzed by about 5 centimeters of snow."

A sudden heavy snowfall in the metropolitan area led to the closure of major roads in Seoul, resulting in a traffic crisis during the evening commute. As the cold weather caused the roads to freeze, severe congestion occurred in many places, and some vehicles were stranded for extended periods inside tunnels. The heavier-than-expected snowfall left many citizens stuck in the middle of the roads, causing widespread inconvenience.

Around 7 a.m. on December 5, snow removal vehicles were busy spreading calcium chloride on roads throughout Seoul. However, on sidewalks where the snow had not been cleared in time and had frozen over, citizens had to walk quickly and carefully to avoid slipping. The previous day's snowfall measured 5.6 centimeters in Gyeonggi, 5.1 centimeters in Seoul, 4.3 centimeters in Gangwon, 3.4 centimeters in North Chungcheong, 3.1 centimeters in South Chungcheong, and 2.6 centimeters in Sejong.

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According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as of 5 a.m. on this day, there were no reported casualties or facility damages due to the heavy snowfall. However, there were numerous reports of falls and stranded vehicles, resulting in 496 fire department dispatches. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency received a total of 1,981 emergency calls, including 442 cases of traffic inconvenience (166 traffic accidents), 1,444 safety hazard prevention cases, and 95 other incidents. The Seoul city government deployed 5,052 personnel and 1,145 snow removal machines starting the previous day, but the heavier-than-expected snowfall limited the effectiveness of these efforts. An office worker, Mr. A, said, "It took me more than three hours to get from Yangjae-dong in Gangnam-gu to Buam-dong in Jongno-gu in the evening. I was stuck in the middle of the road and couldn't move at all."

Accidents on icy roads were also frequent. At around 5:51 a.m., on Nodeul-ro in Dangsan-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, a six-vehicle collision occurred when a passenger car and others crashed into a Starex van that had stopped near the guardrail. The Starex driver was transported to a nearby hospital. At 6:05 a.m., a seven-vehicle collision occurred at the northern end of Banpo Bridge on the Gangbyeonbuk-ro toward Guri. So far, there have been no reported injuries. Air and sea routes were also disrupted. Eleven flights were canceled, including three at Gimpo Airport, seven at Jeju Airport, and one at Cheongju Airport. In addition, 13 passenger ferries connecting Mokpo, Hongdo, Jindo, and Jukdo suspended operations.

Fortunately, by the morning commute, all city roads in Seoul that had been closed due to the sudden heavy snowfall had returned to normal. Twenty-eight sections of urban expressways and nine city roads in downtown Seoul were fully reopened at 4:53 a.m., following the completion of snow removal from the southern end of Cheongdam Bridge to the Tancheon 1st Bridge on the Bundang-Suseo Road toward Seongnam. To prevent confusion during the morning commute, the Seoul city government also increased subway operations by 20 runs and extended the intensive bus dispatch period by 30 minutes.

The government also ordered enhanced snow removal efforts to prevent a "commute chaos." Yoon Hojoong, head of the CDSCH (Minister of the Interior and Safety), instructed that not only should major roads be cleared, but de-icing agents should also be distributed and stored in snow removal containers at key locations. Kim Kwangyong, Director of Disaster and Safety Management, emphasized, "Thoroughly clear both main and side roads to prevent accidents caused by icy roads during the subzero morning commute," and urged local governments, including Seoul, to ensure follow-up snow removal on side roads, walkways, and alleys to prevent icing and ensure a smooth commute.

On the 5th, officials of a building in Jung-gu, Seoul, are clearing snow from the sidewalks as the heavy snowfall from the previous day froze overnight due to subzero temperatures, causing many roads in downtown Seoul to ice over. 2025.12.05 Photo by Yoon Dongju

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The Ministry of the Interior and Safety activated the first phase of the CDSCH at 6 p.m. the previous day and raised the heavy snow crisis alert from "Attention" to "Caution." Although the heavy snow warning has been lifted, the CDSCH will continue operations to address delayed snow removal and traffic congestion in the metropolitan area. Weather advisories and safety instructions will continue to be provided through all available channels, including disaster text messages (CBS) and subtitle broadcasts (DITS).