![A vehicle is being towed away amid a blizzard in Jeju, Jeju Island, on Dec. 18, 2022. [YONHAP]](https://portalshownews.online/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1671409005_NEWS-Heavy-snow-causes-flight-cancellations-traffic-accidents.jpg)
A car is towed away during a snowstorm in Jeju, Jeju Island, on December 18, 2022. [YONHAP]
Heavy snowfall led to a series of traffic accidents and flight cancellations in southern South Korea on Sunday.
As of 6 p.m. Sunday, 109 flights connecting Jeju, Gimpo, Gwangju, Gimhae and Daegu had been canceled, including 100 flights from Jeju International Airport on the southern resort island of Jeju, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. .
A total of 141 flights were delayed on Jeju Island, and the airport was bustling all day with passengers whose flights were canceled and wanted to reschedule.
The airport has been placed under a wind shear and strong wind warning after being covered in heavy snow earlier in the weekend.Airport resumes normal operations from 1pm
As of 6:30 p.m., all sections of Route 1100 are closed due to heavy snow and ice, disrupting passenger ships departing from Jeju Port
The entrance to Halla Mountain, South Korea’s tallest mountain and a major destination for tourists from Jeju, was blocked because more than 30 centimeters of snow accumulated in parts of the mountain.
As of 6pm, local authorities had received 34 reports of snow damage and 14 people had been taken to hospital with snow injuries.
The rest of the country also dealt with road accidents and flight cancellations on Sunday.
The Jeonnam Fire Department in Muan, about 380 kilometers south of Seoul in South Jeolla Province, said it had received nine reports of traffic accidents on Sunday morning alone.
The driver of a car skidded on an icy road in Boseong, Jeollanam Province, was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries just after 3 a.m. on Sunday. About three hours later, a similar accident occurred in Baocheng, authorities said.
A bus, a truck and a passenger car narrowly escaped a three-way collision in Baocheng at around 7:30 a.m.
Authorities have also received calls for help from drivers who have been unable to make their way across slippery hills across the province.
Poor conditions also led to the cancellation of several flights from Jeollanam Province.
At Gwangju Airport, six outbound flights by 10:30 am and six inbound flights by 11:40 am have been cancelled.
At Muan International Airport near west of Gwangju, a Bangkok-bound flight was delayed, while four domestic inbound and outbound flights were cancelled.
Incheon International Airport, South Korea’s main gateway, west of Seoul, reported no weather-related flight delays as of Sunday morning.
A total of 77 passenger ships have been suspended at the entrances of 57 sea routes and seven national parks including Halla Mountain and Naejang Mountain.
The Meteorological Administration expects snowfall of up to 15 centimeters in parts of Gwangju, South Jeolla Province and North Province on Monday morning, calling for high vigilance for road traffic accidents and facility maintenance.
Authorities in Gwangju plan to increase the number of subways during peak hours and delay the start of work for civil servants on Monday morning to prevent traffic congestion.
yonhap news agency
