On the 3rd, people are waiting for the pedestrian signal at the Sejong-daero intersection in Seoul on Ipchun, according to the traditional calendar. [Photo = Yonhap News]
‘The government has initiated preemptive measures in response to forecasts of a strong cold wave and heavy snowfall this week.’
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 3rd that they convened a meeting with relevant agencies, presided over by Lee Hang-kyung, the director of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, in light of the anticipated severe cold wave and heavy snowfall.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, cold wave advisories have been issued for most regions including Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungbuk, and Gyeongbuk, while heavy snow advisories have been issued for the Chungcheong, Jeolla regions, and Jeju.
Snow that started on the west coast of Chungnam and the Jeolla region is expected to extend to the metropolitan area and Gyeongsang region, continuing until the 5th.
The expected snowfall during this period is 3-20 cm for the Jeolla region, 5-10 cm for the Chungnam region, and 1-5 cm for the Gyeongsang region.
On the morning of the 4th, temperatures are expected to drop to -15 to -5 degrees Celsius, with strong winds making the wind chill even lower.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety reviewed the response status of local governments and relevant agencies and discussed measures to minimize human and property damage.
Emphasizing the importance of continuously sharing weather information among agencies and activating emergency response systems, they decided to focus on managing the safety of vulnerable groups such as the homeless and the elderly living alone, as well as outdoor workers.
They also implemented safety measures and snow removal operations to prevent traffic accidents and pedestrian safety incidents due to road icing. Additionally, they requested inspections of vulnerable facilities such as livestock pens and greenhouses to prevent secondary damage from additional snowfall after the Lunar New Year holidays.
Director Lee stated, “We will use all available resources to minimize damage from the cold wave and heavy snowfall,” and urged, “We ask the public to regularly check the weather conditions and adhere to safety guidelines.”