The winter snowfall was the third-heaviest in Seoul, the capital, since 1907, according to the Yonhap news agency, citing data from the city.
More than 40cm (16 inches) of snow piled up in parts of Seoul by 8 am, forcing the cancellation of more than 140 flights, although weather officials lifted heavy snow warnings in the capital’s metropolitan area by 10 am on Thursday.
Seoul’s main airport, Incheon, was the worst affected, with passengers facing delays of two hours on average, while 14% of flights were delayed and 15% canceled on Thursday, plane tracking website Flightradar24 showed.
Authorities said about 142 flights were canceled, and operations of 99 ferries swere uspended on 76 routes by Thursday, while media further reported delays in train schedule as well.
Schools in the province of Gyeonggi adjoining Seoul received permission to close on Thursday if needed, said the provincial authorities.
The unusually heavy November snow has been attributed to the warmer-than-usual temperatures of seawaters west of the Korean peninsula encountering currents of cold air.
