Photos show the heaviest November snowfall in 100 years blanketing South Korea and causing chaos

South Korea's capital, Seoul, has been blanketed by a record November snowfall, causing travel chaos and leaving at least five people dead.

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Nov 28, 2024 - 07:00
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Photos show the heaviest November snowfall in 100 years blanketing South Korea and causing chaos
Workers clean snow in front of the statue of King Sejong at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024.
Workers clean snow in front of the statue of King Sejong at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea.

AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

  • A snowstorm blanketed South Korea's capital on Wednesday and Thursday, photos show.
  • The snowstorm was the heaviest in the month of November since records began in 1907.
  • The severe weather resulted in at least five deaths and led to transportation chaos.

Heavy snow continued to blanket South Korea's capital for a second day running on Thursday, following a record-breaking snowstorm in Seoul the previous day.

Visitors enjoy in snow at the Gyeongbok Palace, one of South Korea's well-known landmarks, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024.
Visitors enjoy the snow at the Gyeongbok Palace, one of South Korea's well-known landmarks, in Seoul.

AP Photo/Lee Jin-man

Photos of the snowfall show South Koreans enjoying the unusual winter wonderland, the first snow of the season.

However, the severe weather also resulted in a number of deaths and led to travel chaos.

This photo taken on Nov. 27, 2024 shows a view of the city after snowfall in Seoul, South Korea. South Korea's capital city logged a record November snowfall, with more than 16 cm of snow blanketing Seoul.
Seoul, South Korea, after Wednesday's snowfall.

Park Jintaek/Xinhua via Getty Images

According to Reuters, at least five people died as a result of the adverse weather, with four fatalities due to structures collapsing under the weight of the snow, and one person dying in a traffic accident due to icy roads.

On Wednesday, 11 people were injured after 53 cars were involved in a pile-up in the city of Wonju, about 70 miles east of Seoul, amid the snowy conditions, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

Gwanghwamun Square and Gyeongbok Palace are blanketed with snow in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024.
The snow caused travel chaos and road closures in South Korea.

AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

The news agency said the snow caused trees and branches to buckle and collapse across Seoul and the surrounding regions, which led to authorities blocking entry to some roads, power lines snapping, and delays on some subway lines.

Yonhap also reported that more than 140 flights, the majority of them international, were canceled due to the weather.

A Korean Air plane is parked on the tarmac during snowfall as seen through a window at Incheon international airport, west of Seoul, on November 27, 2024.
More than 140 flights were canceled because of the snow.

JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images

Wednesday's snowfall in Seoul brought about 6.5 inches of snow to the city and surrounding areas, making it the heaviest snowfall in November since records began in 1907, per the Yonhap News Agency.

The previous record, set in 1966, saw considerably less snowfall, at about 3.7 inches, per CNN.

A worker shovels snow near a monument in remembrance of the Korean War at the Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024
A worker shovels snow near a monument at the Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul.

AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

Data from the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) showed 11.3 inches of snow in Seoul at 8 a.m. local time on Thursday, close to the overall record of 12.2 inches recorded at a Seoul weather station in March 1922.

According to the KMA, Suwon, a city about 25 miles from Seoul, received almost 17 inches of snow on Thursday morning.

The snow is expected to lessen over Thursday.

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