South Korea, Japan grapple with heavy snow chaos, flight delays

Harsh weather has disrupted nearly 500 flights to and from South Korea’s Jeju Island airport; at least one person has died in Japan due to the cold weather

Heavy snowstorms and frigid winter weather have gripped East Asia for the second straight day, resulting in flight cancellations and disruptions in train travel. In Japan, at least one person has died and two more deaths are being investigated in connection with the cold weather, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on January 25.

Thousands of travellers swarmed a small airport in South Korea’s Jeju Island on Wednesday in a scramble to get on flights following delays by snowstorms.

Officials at South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety didn’t immediately report any major damage or injuries from subzero temperatures and icy conditions that have affected most of the country since Tuesday.

But at least eight roads and 10 sea routes remained closed as of Wednesday afternoon. About 140 homes in the capital Seoul and nearby regions reported busted water pressure pumps or pipes as temperatures dipped to around -15 to -20° Celsius across the mainland.

In Japan, heavy snow and record cold temperatures also brought widespread disruptions.

Thousands of people using train services in Kyoto and Shiga prefectures in western Japan were forced to stay overnight in carriages or stations, while vehicles on major roads across the country were left stranded and hundreds of flights canceled, Kyodo News reported.

Air traffic returned to normal after hundreds of flights in and out of Jeju were grounded Tuesday because of strong winds and snow, stranding an estimated 40,000 travelers who had visited the resort island for the Lunar New Year holidays.