Cold wave to hit South Korea over weekend

Passersby walk through Myeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, on Friday morning, when the temperature sharply dropped below zero. (Yonhap)

A cold wave is expected to peak over the weekend, dragging the mercury down further, the weather agency said Friday, after morning temperatures in most parts of South Korea fell below freezing.

The cold wave advisory, which took effect in Seoul and Gangwon Province as of 9 p.m. Thursday, was lifted as temperatures rose Friday afternoon, but is still in effect in some parts of North and South Gyeongsang Provinces.

The Korea Meteorological Administration predicted that Saturday morning's temperature would record between minus 10 to 1 Celsius degrees, with many places below 0 C. Daytime temperatures will also stay below 5 degrees in most parts of the country, and with strong wind, sensory temperatures will be even lower. The cold weather is expected to last until Sunday.

Most of the region will see clear skies on Saturday, affected by a high pressure moving southeast from northern China, but areas along the west coast and Jeju Island will be cloudy.

As temperatures began to drop sharply, the Seoul Metropolitan Government launched a "situation room" to monitor the cold weather and respond to emergency situations. It began 24-hour emergency work as of 9 p.m. Thursday.

The city will operate a special supporting team against cold wave damage, paying special attention to the safety of vulnerable groups such as the elderly living alone and the homeless. Twenty-five autonomous districts in Seoul are also preparing against cold wave damage by operating monitoring teams and stockpiling emergency supplies.

By Lee Jung-youn(jy@heraldcorp.com)