Get your puffer jacket ready: Cold wave advisories to take effect in Korea from Wednesday evening

A cold wave advisory will take effect at 9 p.m. Wednesday for parts of Seoul, including northeastern and northwestern districts, as well as for 10 areas in Gyeonggi and eight in North Chungcheong, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

A pedestrian walks across the Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul with a thick coat and gloves on Jan. 5. [NEWS1]

A cold wave advisory will take effect at 9 p.m. Wednesday for parts of Seoul, including northeastern and northwestern districts, as well as for 10 areas in Gyeonggi and eight in North Chungcheong, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will enter 24-hour emergency operations.

In Seoul, the advisory will cover 14 districts: Dobong, Nowon, Gangbuk, Seongbuk, Dongdaemun, Jungnang, Seongdong and Gwangjin in the northeast, and Eunpyeong, Jongno, Mapo, Seodaemun, Jung and Yongsan in the northwest.

A cold wave advisory is issued when the morning low is forecast to remain at or below minus 12 degrees Celsius (10.4 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least two consecutive days, or when temperatures are expected to fall rapidly and cause significant disruption.

In response to the advisory, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the 14 affected districts will activate cold wave emergency response centers and implement around-the-clock staffing. The citywide center will operate through dedicated response teams overseeing overall coordination, public services, energy recovery, health and sanitation, and emergency rescue.

Officials will check on elderly residents considered vulnerable to the cold by phone, and if calls go unanswered, they will conduct home visits to ensure their safety. The city also plans to deliver meal boxes and side dishes to low-income seniors, increase outreach to people without housing through patrols and counseling, and distribute cold-weather supplies.

The city will also issue public safety guidelines via social media to help residents manage their health during the cold snap. Real-time alerts and information about nearby warming shelters will be available through the city's disaster safety portal.

“The brief cold snap is expected to make the temperature feel much colder than it is,” said Han Byeong-yong, head of Seoul’s Disaster and Safety Office. “We will do everything we can to prevent cold-related damage, and we ask citizens to stay warm and take extra care of their health.”

The cold wave advisory will also take effect at the same time in other regions, including Gimpo, Dongducheon, Yeoncheon, Pocheon, Gapyeong, Goyang, Yangju, Uijeongbu, Paju and Yangpyeong in Gyeonggi; Boeun, Goesan, Yeongdong, Chungju, Jecheon, Jincheon, Eumseong and Danyang in North Chungcheong; Ganghwa County in Incheon; Gunwi County in Daegu; North Gyeongsang; and Gangwon.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY CHO MUN-GYU [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]